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Name:
Gantz Oil Well
Region:
Pittsburgh Region
County:
Washington
Marker Location:
West Chestnut Street at Brookside Avenue, Washington
Dedication Date:
October 3, 1953
Behind the Marker
The boom along Oil Creek lasted until the early 1870s, yet Pennsylvania remained the world's oil kingdom through the 1890s. Pennsylvania production moved steadily southward during the mid 1880s. The opening of oil fields in Washington County, and later in Greene County brought significant additions to production.
Drilled originally for gas, the first wells in these fields were drilled by the Citizen's Fuel Company of Washington County. After some oil was discovered in exploratory wells in 1884, the first full-fledged "gusher" was tapped in August. By October 1886, daily output reached approximately 20,000 barrels.
Such massive flows of crude far out-produced the greatest wells of the early oil boom. Developers flocked to the incredible fields. It was only a short time before production extended from Washington into Greene County down the Ohio River to central West Virginia.
Drilled originally for gas, the first wells in these fields were drilled by the Citizen's Fuel Company of Washington County. After some oil was discovered in exploratory wells in 1884, the first full-fledged "gusher" was tapped in August. By October 1886, daily output reached approximately 20,000 barrels.
Such massive flows of crude far out-produced the greatest wells of the early oil boom. Developers flocked to the incredible fields. It was only a short time before production extended from Washington into Greene County down the Ohio River to central West Virginia.
