Pennsylvania Crude: Boomtowns & Oil Barons Revives the “Excitement”

Remember the days when oil derricks dotted the landscape? Or perhaps it’s the stories told by a grandfather, brother, or uncle who worked on a “lease.” You can relive those days through a new book titled Pennsylvania Crude: Boomtowns and Oil Barons.

The 116-page coffee table-style book, published by Forest Press, a division of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, takes the reader on a pictorial tour of the oil industry in the Pennsylvania Field from discovery and boom eras through the resurgence occurring today. The book details the oil stories from within the counties of McKean, Warren, Crawford, Venango, Butler in Pennsylvania and Allegany County in New York.

Pennsylvania Crude: Boomtowns and Oil Barons features present-day fine art photography from the region along with a wide selection of historic photos. The book is divided into six sections: Seeps and Pits, Discovery, Boomtowns, From Mud to Market, A Second Boom and The Next Well. It’s a trip back in time where words like moonlighters and yellow dog were developed and towns such as Bradford, Warren, Derrick City, Titusville, Chicora, Tidioute, Richburg and Oil City were put on the map.

“Whenever there was a series of gushers, it was referred to as the ‘excitement,’” said Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau. “We are equally excited to bring this book to the people who are interested in the oil industry, past and present. This book was done to honor those who lived, breathed and died in the oil industry. They had oil coursing through their veins. What would this area be without them?”

Readers will also see the faces of the oil industry. A portrait section shows a variety of people associated with the industry from those who work out in the field to professors who teach about it. This hard-cover book introduces the reader to such characters as Mary Alford, a woman who ran a nitroglycerin factory outside of Eldred.

And no book that includes the oil industry in McKean County would be complete without Lewis Emery, who fought John D. Rockefeller. The Bradford Club is also featured as well as Music Mountain.

There’s also a section titled “Gushers in Tuna Valley” which includes such places as Tarport, Derrick City and the Bradford Oil Exchange.

“We wanted to share never before told stories about the oil industry, the Pennsylvania Field and its local and national impact,” said Devlin, who spearheaded the project. “This publication is a collectible item for anyone interested in how the oil industry shaped Pennsylvania as well as southern New York.”

Ed Bernik, an award-winning photographer from North East, captured the images in the publication. He also supplied photos for the companion DVD. The research and text was done by Paul Adomites and editor Jim Gates. The foreword was written by Harvey Golubock, president and chief operating officer of American Refining Group – the oldest continuous running refinery in the United States.

The companion DVD titled “Pennsylvania Crude: The Road Trip” includes various places of interest in all of the counties, including museums, parks and other attractions. The DVD won a multitude of awards, including Best of Show, at the ADDY Awards in Erie. The ADDY Awards are sponsored by the Advertising Federation of Northwestern Pennsylvania. The ADDY Awards recognizes all forms of advertising.

Pennsylvania Crude: Boomtowns and Oil Barons is a collaborative effort between Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau, Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism, Warren County Visitors Bureau and the Allegany County (N.Y.) Office of Development.

“This project could not have been done without all of the partners’ input,” Devlin said. “A lot of hard work and determination went into this project, hours of volunteer time from individuals, local historical societies, and museums helped make this book what it is today – a great piece of art that tells the history of oil.”

The book is available for $39.95 plus tax through the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, the official tourism promotion agency for McKean County, at 80 E. Corydon St., Bradford, or by calling 800-473-9370, or by e-mailing info@visitANF.com.

Future plans include promoting the history of this region via national distribution of the book, and utilizing the driving tours developed for the “Pennsylvania Crude: The Road Trip” to promote travel into our region.

Photos provided by the ANFVB