Oil-Producing Salt Well

Crawford County · dedicated 1985 · PA 198 near Redd's Corner Rd., Lawrence Corners, 1 mile E of Ohio line

Drilled here in 1815 by Samuel Magaw and William Clark to reach brine, a frontier source of salt. When it was deepened by Daniel Shryock to 300 feet in 1819, oil was struck. Because of this unwanted byproduct, the well and salt works here were closed, 1821. This early yield of oil from a drilled well occurred 40 years before Edwin L. Drake's 1859 discovery near Titusville.

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Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

Oil-Producing Salt Well

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