Wildcat Hollow

Wildcat Hollow. . , You are facing Hogback Hill. Behind it lies Wildcat Hollow, one of the many productive fields in the early oil era., According to tradition, a speculator who risked his luck by drilling in this narrow valley shot a wildcat, had it stuffed and set it atop his derrick. The mounted cat gave its name to the hollow. Because the area was largely untested and somewhat away from the Oil Creek flats, the term wildcatter was coined, describing a person who risked drilling in unproven territory., Many Wildcat Hollow wells had imaginative names. The Yankee Well flowed on a cycle of seven minutes on and 20 minutes off. The Sunday Well refused to flow on weekdays. Titusville millionaire George K. Anderson named four of his wells the Swamp Angel Wells, the nickname of a large piece of military hardware used before the Civil War., Along with the wells were refineries, boarding houses, and a few homes. A fine dance hall located on top of Hogback Hill survived until after World War II., Today Wildcat Hollow serves as an environmental and historical study area with trails and teaching stations for public and school use.