New Cumberland in Hancock County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
First Gas Well
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 29, 2025
1. First Gas Well Marker, Side One
Inscription.
First Gas Well. . 1862 on Deep Cut a stock company drilled for oil and failed. They did strike a huge natural gas well. People knew little about gas. It roared for two years with a deafening_noise until it was accidentally ignited. Flames shot skyward to over 80', lighting up the area for miles. It blazed for more than a year. Then it was bought by a Philadelphia Co. and put out with steam vapor for the purpose of producing carbon and soot. This soot factory operated for years and produced printers ink using 10.000 jet flames which burned under a plate of sandstone. Carbon from the sand- stone was scraped off every twenty minutes. It was used to print many leading newspapers and magazines around the world including the London Times and Harpers Magazine. The plant closed in 1886.
1862 on Deep Cut a stock company drilled for oil and failed. They did strike a huge natural gas well. People knew little about gas. It roared for two years with a deafening_noise until it was accidentally ignited. Flames shot skyward to over 80', lighting up the area for miles. It blazed for more than a year. Then it was bought by a Philadelphia Co. and put out with steam vapor for the purpose of producing carbon and soot. This soot factory operated for years and produced printers ink using 10.000 jet flames which burned under a plate of sandstone. Carbon from the sand- stone was scraped off every twenty minutes. It was used to print many leading newspapers and magazines around the world including the London Times and Harpers Magazine. The plant closed in 1886.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources. A significant historical year for this entry is 1862.
Location. 40° 29.938′ N, 80° 36.673′ W. Marker is in New Cumberland, West Virginia, in Hancock County. It is at the intersection of North River Road and Jefferson Street, on the right when traveling south on North River Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 104 Jefferson St, New Cumberland WV 26047, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Northern Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Ohio River Valley, and in Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 165 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 1, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
