The Phillips and Woodford Wells on Tarr Farm, north of Oil City, Pennsylvania, in 1873.

Boomtown Legacy

Ryan Hilton, Engineer

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    South Improvement Company Testifies Before Congress (Apr. 5, 1872)

    South Improvement Company Testifies Before Congress (Apr. 5, 1872)

    Apr 5, 2025

    by

    Ryan Hilton

    —

    in This Day in Oil History

    The South Improvement Company testifies in a congressional investigation as lawmakers question secret freight contracts and its role in the oil trade.

    Read more

  • This Day in Oil History
    Petroleum Centre: The Wickedest Oil Town in PA (Apr. 3, 1889)

    Petroleum Centre: The Wickedest Oil Town in PA (Apr. 3, 1889)

    Apr 3, 2025

    by

    Ryan Hilton

    —

    in This Day in Oil History

    Once called the “wickedest town in the oil country,” Petroleum Centre boomed and vanished—this Apr. 3, 1889 article recalls its rise and rapid decline.

    Read more

  • This Day in Oil History
    April 2, 1872: South Improvement Company — Charter Repealed

    April 2, 1872: South Improvement Company — Charter Repealed

    Apr 2, 2025

    by

    Ryan Hilton

    —

    in This Day in Oil History

    The South Improvement Company’s charter is repealed, but concerns remain. PA oil men warn of other monopoly charters still threatening independent trade.

    Read more

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Boomtown Legacy

Blogging about 19th-century oil fever in Pennsylvania.


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About the author

I’m Ryan Hilton, a petroleum engineer with Chevron.

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