Description: In 1898, a prolific oil pool was discovered. The town of approximately 900 people grew to 12,000 in about two years as about 1,000 oil wells were drilled. The local college attendance dropped from 300 students to 25, as the students rushed to the oil field for jobs. The oil boom lasted for about two years and town decreased to the previous size. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07625
Subjects: Oil fields--Ohio; Oil wells; Oil industry; Harrison County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the town and oil fields of Cygnet, Ohio, in 1890. Cygnet experienced a population boom in the 1880s as the oil industry developed in Northwest Ohio, and the town grew from a few dozen people to over 3,000. During the late nineteenth century, Ohio became one of the top oil producing states in the country and was the leading oil producer from 1895 to 1903. This oil boom brought a significant amount of growth and affluence to Wood County. By the 1910s, Ohio's oil boom declined and Ohio dropped out of the top four oil producing states in 1917. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07626
Subjects: Oil fields--Ohio; Oil industry; Petroleum industry; Ohio Economy--Science and Technology
Places: Cygnet (Ohio); Wood County (Ohio)
 

Description: The exterior of the Marathon Oil Co. building in Findlay. Marathon was originally known as the Ohio Oil Company until 1962. It's origin goes back to the late 19th century when Ohio was found to have oil of its own. The company would soon be taken over by the giant Standard Oil until Standard Oil was eventually dismantled. The company later decided to expand its operations, searching for oil further afield and eventually getting into the business processing oil, where previously it had simply sold crude oil to other companies. By the 1960s, the company had acquired its name of Marathon, and later it would merge with another oil company to become Marathon Ashland Petroleum. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06738
Subjects: Oil fields--Ohio; Oil industry; Findlay (Ohio)
Places: Findlay (Ohio); Hancock County (Ohio); Ohio
 

Description: The exterior of the Marathon Oil Co. building in Findlay. Marathon was originally known as the Ohio Oil Company until 1962. It's origin goes back to the late 19th century when Ohio was found to have oil of its own. The company would soon be taken over by the giant Standard Oil until until Standard Oil was eventually dismantled. Eventually the company decided to expand its operations, searching for oil further afield and eventually getting into the business processing oil, where previously it had simply sold crude oil to other companies. By the 1960s, the company had acquired its name of Marathon, and later it would merge with another oil company to become Marathon Ashland Petroleum. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06739
Subjects: Oil fields--Ohio; Oil industry; Findlay (Ohio)
Places: Findlay (Ohio); Hancock County (Ohio); Ohio
 

Description: Modern reproduction of a photograph depicting an oil field with wooden storage tanks, oil well rigs, wagons, buildings and people. A written description on the back of the photograph identifies it as the Cow Run Field near Marietta, Ohio, ca. 1885. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL03888
Subjects: Oil fields--Ohio; Natural resources--Ohio
Places: Marietta (Ohio); Washington County (Ohio)