Beschreibung:

OIL INDUSTRY]. A small group of letters and documents relating to the Pit Hole and Rock Spring Oil Company and its interests in northwestern Pennsylvania from 8 June 1865 to 12 May 1877. The group includes; A document certifying that a deed and document of incorporation were filed in Venango County, 8 June 1865. -- HALE, P.A. ALS, Warren, PA. 20 July 1865. Hale informs the investors of the situation in Pennsylvania: "I reached Titusville yesterday...came to this place to get title to 150 acres...The lot was sold March 8th....for $7500...I have met some acquaintances that came from Pit hole yesterday and they all say that we can lease that property for $1000 per acre reserving one half the oil." -- HALE. ALS, Franklin, PA, 24 July 1865. Hale reports on the land that he believes the company purchased: "I found those tall Pine Trees were all chopped...perhaps 500 logs cut and scattered all over the ground...and to my astonishment found a man living in the shanty house...A well about 1½ miles from the lot is now down 306 feet with a show of oil and a flowing of 40 Brls. Well at 240 feet...4 miles from said lot struck last week." Hale reports that he cannot find record of their deed: "Mr. Zane...I think...is putting down two wells on the lower five acres sold to our company at least if I have found the right lot." -- HALE. ALS, Pit Hole, 27 July 1865. Hale reports that the deed to the Pit Hole land has been found and he has located the correct property: "No timber cut on Pit Hole & Rock Spring Lot and the wells are on Rome & Maple Creek lots." -- A deed for the sale of the land of John J. Parry in Deerfield Township, dated 19 March 1868, to the Pit Hole and Rock Spring Oil Company with accompanying hand-drawn survey map. -- WALKER, R.J. ALS, Rouseville. PA., 23 October 1871. Walker, who apparently was given a lease to company land, writes: "Having sold my well I shall be able to commence operations sooner than I anticipated, but do not want to make any move until I have written authority for so doing." -- WALKER. ALS, Rouseville, 13 October 1874. As the oil boom declines, Walker writes: "at present it is almost impossible to dispose of any kind of real estate in this section unless it be first class paying oil territory. Cheap oil (.75) has all but impoverished half of the operations in oil, with the other half...[finding] it to valuable to invest in any thing that does not promise an immediate return...Would suggest that the property be held untill more profitable price be obtained for oil - it mat be one, two or three years - when a purchaser could be found as some one who would operate it for oil." -- 19 letters and documents regarding tax information for company land and tax payments, 7 March 1868 to 12 May 1877. [With:] 3 documents regarding the purchase of and investment in oil lands in West Virginia, 8 February to 25 March 1865. Together 27 items . (27)