How Oil Saved Findlay

How Oil Saved Findlay. . , It was believed that the supply of natural gas beneath Findlay was inexhaustible, and that one day, Toledo would be a suburb of Findlay. But, by 1900, most of the gas had run out. Without free gas, many of the factories left town, and Findlay looked to be in real danger. of becoming a ghost town. Fortunately, when the gas declined, oil prospecting expanded and helped to maintain land values, essentially saving Findlay from disappearing., Fast Facts: , Almost by chance, oil was discovered as early as 1859, when Daniel Drake noticed a gaseous odor from an abandoned water well. After using an iron bar to move debris, he realized he had found oil., The first real oil well in Hancock County was located at the Mathias Brickyard property on West Main Cross Street. In 1885, the well was shot with 100 quarts of nitroglycerine, and the oil flowed at 300 barrels per day., Sixty million years is the average length of time it takes oil and gas to form. Neither are inexhaustible and neither are easily replenished., [Captions:] , 1. Derrick with team of horses in the 1890s. 2. Gushing Oil Well in the 1900s. 3. Liberty Township Oil Well of Ohio Oil by Harry Botsford. 4. Wooden Oll Derrick with men in the 1880s., Oil was discovered by accident by Daniel Drake 1859, First real oil well in Hancock County was located 1885, Most of the natural gas had run out of Hancock County wells 1900