Oil City, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Oil City is a city in Venango County
, Pennsylvania
that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil well
s were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil
, Quaker State
, and Wolf's Head
motor oil companies. Tourism plays a prominent role in the region by promoting oil heritage sites, nature trails, and Victorian architecture
. The population was 10,557 at the 2010 census.
first settled in the region; by, the late 18th century Chief Cornplanter
was given three tracts of land as a "gift" from the State of Pennsylvania. In 1818, local prospectors purchased the land and built a blast furnace
, which closed in the early 1850s. As population in the area began to decline, Colonel
Edwin L. Drake drilled the first commercially successful oil well on August 27, 1859, in nearby Titusville
. A number of boomtown
s came to life in the region, including Oil City, Titusville, Petroleum Center
, Pithole, and Rynd Farm.
Barges were used to transport the oil down Oil Creek and into Oil City, where it was transported to steamboats or bulk barges to continue on to Pittsburgh and other locations. Oil City was founded in 1860, incorporated as a borough in 1868, and chartered as a city in 1874. The Borough of Oil City was incorporated as a city in 1871. The city was partially destroyed by flood in 1865 and by both flood and fire in 1866 and again in 1882; on this last occasion, several oil tanks that were struck by lightning gave way, and Oil Creek carried a mass of burning oil into the city, where some 60 lives were lost and property valued at more than $1 million was destroyed. Oil City grew into a thriving community through the later half of the 19th century and into the 20th century. By the 1990s, Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Wolf's Head had all relocated their headquarters elsewhere. However, some oil wells continue to produce a steady supply of quality petroleum.
Regional governments and public organizations promote tourism by thoroughly educating the public about oil history. Oil City's location along the Allegheny River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
provides excellent opportunities for exploring Northwestern Pennsylvania.
and Oil Creek at 41.428280°N 79.707327°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (4.65%) is water.
Many layers of rock and sedimentary material containing fossils can be seen on the bluffs
in and around Oil City. Oil City is framed by the surrounding foothills with the Allegheny River winding through downtown.
The Allegheny River and Oil Creek freeze occasionally during the winter, sometimes causing ice jams
; although remediation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
has reduced ice formation via a floating ice control structure on the river and a fixed concrete weir on the banks of the creek. Flooding of the river flats is a possibility throughout the year due to ice jams, excessive snow melt, large volume storms and hurricane or tropical storm remnants
of 2000, there were 11,504 people, 4,762 households, and 2,981 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,548.4 people per square mile (984.9/km2). There were 5,276 housing units at an average density of 1,168.8 per square mile (451.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.84% White, 0.89% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races
, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 4,762 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,060, and the median income for a family was $36,149. Males had a median income of $30,072 versus $19,697 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,696. About 16.2% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Venango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,984. Its county seat is Franklin.-History:Venango County was created on March 12, 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil well
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
s were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
, Quaker State
Quaker State
Quaker State may refer to:* Pennsylvania, which is colloquially known as the Quaker State* The Quaker State Corporation, a manufacturer of motor oil and other lubricants as of 2006 known as SOPUS Products* Quaker State , made by Pennzoil...
, and Wolf's Head
Wolf's Head (motor oil)
Wolf's Head motor oil company manufactures various weights of motor oil, synthetic oil, and other automotive fluids. The company was originally founded in Pennsylvania as "Pennsylvania Crude" in 1879. Presently, its company headquarters is in Tampa Bay, Florida...
motor oil companies. Tourism plays a prominent role in the region by promoting oil heritage sites, nature trails, and Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
. The population was 10,557 at the 2010 census.
History
In the early 17th century, the Seneca nationSeneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
first settled in the region; by, the late 18th century Chief Cornplanter
Cornplanter
Gaiänt'wakê was a Seneca war-chief. He was the son of a Seneca mother, Aliquipiso, and a Dutch father, Johannes Abeel. He also carried the name John Abeel after his fur trader father...
was given three tracts of land as a "gift" from the State of Pennsylvania. In 1818, local prospectors purchased the land and built a blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
, which closed in the early 1850s. As population in the area began to decline, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Edwin L. Drake drilled the first commercially successful oil well on August 27, 1859, in nearby Titusville
Titusville, Pennsylvania
Titusville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,146 at the 2000 census. In 1859, oil was successfully drilled in Titusville, resulting in the birth of the modern oil industry.-History:...
. A number of boomtown
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
s came to life in the region, including Oil City, Titusville, Petroleum Center
Petroleum Center, Pennsylvania
Petroleum Center is a populated place in Cornplanter Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States. In the 19th century the name was also spelled "Petroleum Centre". The town today is almost deserted.-Geography:...
, Pithole, and Rynd Farm.
Barges were used to transport the oil down Oil Creek and into Oil City, where it was transported to steamboats or bulk barges to continue on to Pittsburgh and other locations. Oil City was founded in 1860, incorporated as a borough in 1868, and chartered as a city in 1874. The Borough of Oil City was incorporated as a city in 1871. The city was partially destroyed by flood in 1865 and by both flood and fire in 1866 and again in 1882; on this last occasion, several oil tanks that were struck by lightning gave way, and Oil Creek carried a mass of burning oil into the city, where some 60 lives were lost and property valued at more than $1 million was destroyed. Oil City grew into a thriving community through the later half of the 19th century and into the 20th century. By the 1990s, Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Wolf's Head had all relocated their headquarters elsewhere. However, some oil wells continue to produce a steady supply of quality petroleum.
Regional governments and public organizations promote tourism by thoroughly educating the public about oil history. Oil City's location along the Allegheny River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
provides excellent opportunities for exploring Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Geography
Oil City, Pennsylvania is located at the confluence of the Allegheny RiverAllegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and Oil Creek at 41.428280°N 79.707327°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (4.65%) is water.
Many layers of rock and sedimentary material containing fossils can be seen on the bluffs
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
in and around Oil City. Oil City is framed by the surrounding foothills with the Allegheny River winding through downtown.
The Allegheny River and Oil Creek freeze occasionally during the winter, sometimes causing ice jams
Ice dam
An ice dam occurs when water builds up behind a blockage of ice. Ice dams can occur in various ways.-Caused by a glacier:Sometimes a glacier flows down a valley to a confluence where the other branch carries an unfrozen river...
; although remediation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
has reduced ice formation via a floating ice control structure on the river and a fixed concrete weir on the banks of the creek. Flooding of the river flats is a possibility throughout the year due to ice jams, excessive snow melt, large volume storms and hurricane or tropical storm remnants
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,504 people, 4,762 households, and 2,981 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,548.4 people per square mile (984.9/km2). There were 5,276 housing units at an average density of 1,168.8 per square mile (451.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.84% White, 0.89% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 4,762 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,060, and the median income for a family was $36,149. Males had a median income of $30,072 versus $19,697 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,696. About 16.2% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Revitalization
In recent years, Oil City has undergone a renovation of the downtown area. Older sidewalks have been torn up and replaced with new sidewalks along with a Victorianization of the architecture in the Historic District. Anodized bronze plaques have been mounted near historic areas to describe the event that happened there. A current revitalization effort is underway to attract working artists to the area along with additional businesses.Notable people
- Dave Smalley - bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of The ChoirThe Choir (garage rock)The Choir was a garage rock band largely active in the greater Cleveland area from the mid 1960s into the early 1970s. Originally called The Mods, their largest commercial success came with the release of their first single "It's Cold Outside" in December 1966...
, RaspberriesRaspberries (band)Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
, and the Secret, was born in Oil City - Charles Almanzo BabcockCharles Almanzo BabcockCharles Almanzo Babcock was a late-nineteenth-century superintendent of schools in Oil City, Pennsylvania. He is credited with launching Bird Day, a day to celebrate birds in American schools, on May 4. The first Bird Day was celebrated in Oil City schools in 1894, and by 1901 the practice was...
- Superintendent of Oil City schools in the 1890s, credited with the creation of Bird DayBird DayBird Day is the name of several holidays celebrating birds. The first such holiday was established by Charles Babcock, the Oil City superintendent of schools, in 1894.- Bird Day :... - William Holmes Crosby, Jr. - One of the founding fathers of hematology
- Francis "Gabby" GabreskiGabby GabreskiFrancis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski was the top American fighter ace in Europe during World War II, a jet fighter ace in Korea, and a career officer in the United States Air Force with more than 26 years service.Although best known for his credited destruction of 34½ aircraft in aerial combat and...
– the top American fighter aceFighter AceFighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
in Europe during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and a jet fighter ace during the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...