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OIL CITY
*Plats and Organization
*Early Borough and City Officers

Compiled from: History of Venango County Pennsylvania
Its Past and Present, Chicago, IL.
Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers; 1890; pp. 436- 439.

"The present platting of the city was begun in 1869 by W. R. STEVENSON and lasted two or three years, the chief addition being the upper and lower ends of the south side,
Palace Hill, and parts of upper Cottage Hill. In 1872 Messrs. CLARK and PORTEOUS laid off Clark's Summit
and an incline railway was built, the bed of which is still visible (1890). This was about four hundred and sixty feet high by one thousand six hundred feet long with a double track
upon which ran two passenger and two team cars, operated by cables and steam.
The cost was about thirty-five thousand dollars. The plan was intended to have made the summit a place of residence,
but defective land title and the panic of 1873 caused the scheme to be gradually abandoned, so that the plane machinery was removed about 1879. "

"The first borough organization was begun in 1862 at the Halyday Run School House. R. CRISWELL was made chairman and P. C. HEYDRICK, secretary.
C. C. WALDO stated the object of the meeting and among the resolutions adopted was that of choosing as a committee on corporation which succeeded in securing a charter
in the spring of 1862. Members: C. C. WALDO, T. H. WILLIAMS, T. M. PARKER, William HASSON, P. C. HEYDERICK, C. HASSON."

BOROUGH OFFICERS
- began with those elected in 1862

1862
  • Burgess - William Hasson

  • Council :
    • T. H. Williams
    • Charles Robson
    • Fid Bishop
    • Charles Haines
    • T.B. Hoover

  • Constable - E. C. Hueston

  • Clerk - W. R. Johns

  • Street Commissioner - Hugh McClintock

    1863

  • Burgess - Charles Robson

  • Council:
    • Jacob Shirk
    • G. W. Steffee
    • J. B. Gibson
    • M. J. Morrison

1864
  • Burgess - M. L. Bagg

  • Council:
    • P. Smith
    • D. W. McLane
    • J. J. Vandergrift
    • Jacob Shirk

1865
  • Burgess - S. S. Christy

  • Council:
    • D. W. McLane
    • Jacob Shirk
    • G. W. Cochran
    • Dr. R. Colbert

1866

  • Burgess - J. G. Arbuthnot

  • Council:
    • I. Bleakely
    • Dr. J. D. Baldwin
    • S. F. Daugherty
    • L. Gordon
    • L. D. Kellogg

The records from this date have been lost,
but from other sources it has been learned that:
  • 1867 - Burgess - George V. Forman
  • 1868 - Burgess - Frederick Giegel
  • 1869 - Burgess - W. F. Groves
  • 1870 - Burgess - W. W. White

Meanwhile in 1866 the growth of the south side settlements had reached a total population of about one thousand five hundred,
and their union into the borough of Venango City has been mentioned. The first Burgess was James SHOEMAKER whose first two terms were succeeded by those of
Joseph BEGGS, W. L. LAY, and Joshua GILGER in 1870. By this time the desire was general for a union of the north and south sides or boroughs."

THE CITY INCORPORATION - "Was accomplished by a union of the two boroughs and an act of the legislature, approved March 3, 1871,
an election was held on the second Tuesday in April; the incorporation was completed April 11th.
Those especially active in this were C. S. COLBERT, W. F. GROVES, B. D. McCREARY and William THOMPSON for Oil City and D.W. McLANE for Venango City.
Like many other Pennsylvania cities Oil City replaced her old charter in January, 1881, by organization under the Wallace Act."

OIL CITY OFFICERS FOR 1871 - 1889

1871

Mayor - William M. Williams


Council:

  • Joseph Bates
  • William H. Duncan
  • William Dwyer
  • John H. Evans
  • Samuel M. Irwin
  • John Mawhinney
  • R. D. McCreary
  • Joseph M. McElroy
  • George W. Parker
  • T. B. Porteous
  • Charles H. Shepard
  • T.H. Williams

    1872

    Mayor - I. M. Sowers


    Council:

  • John Mawhinney
  • John H. Evans
  • John Finley
  • J. D. Stilwell
  • Jacob Shirk
  • George W. Parker
  • Joseph Bates
  • T.B. Porteous
  • T. H. Williams
  • S.M. Irwin
  • R. D. McCreary
  • J. M. McElroy

    1873

    Mayor - I. M. Sowers


    Council :

  • W.M. Williams
  • William Hasson
  • O. B. Goodwin
  • J. H. Kump
  • F.M. Green
  • Jacob Shirk
  • W. F. Fox
  • R. R. Frampton
  • D. L. Trax
  • J. E. McLain
  • J. M. Harding
  • Joseph Bates

    1874

    Mayor - William B. Foster


    Council:

  • W.M. Williams
  • W. J. Young
  • J. H. Oberly
  • J. H. Kump
  • F.M. Green
  • R. Chisholm
  • James S. Wilson
  • Joseph Bates
  • D. Yothers
  • J. A. H. Carson
  • J. E. McLain
  • W.F. Fox

    1875

    Mayor - William B. Foster


    Council:

  • John H. Oberly
  • S.H. Lamberton
  • W. J. Young
  • W. J. Innis
  • William Dwyer
  • R. Chisholm
  • P. I. Cribbs
  • C. H.J. Duncan
  • W. L. Lay
  • Joseph Bates
  • J. W. Latshaw
  • J. A. H. Carson

    1876

    Mayor - Joseph M. McElroy


    Council:

  • S. H. Lamberton
  • W.J. Innis
  • John H. Oberly
  • R. Chisholm
  • William Dwyer
  • P.I. Cribbs
  • David Johnson
  • J. W. Spencer
  • R. D. McCreary
  • C.H. Duncan
  • J.W. Latshaw
  • W. L. Lay

    1877

    Mayor - Joseph M. McElroy


    Council:

  • B. H. Carnahan
  • W.J. Young
  • Thomas R. Cowell
  • J. H. Oberly
  • John B. Reinbold
  • R. Chisholm
  • H.C. Graham
  • P.I. Cribbs
  • Joseph Elder
  • David Johnson
  • J.W. Spencer
  • R. D. McCreary

    1878

    Mayor - H. D. Hancock


    Council:

  • Thomas R. Cowell
  • John B. Reinbold
  • H. C. Graham
  • J. W. Spencer
  • R. D. McCreary
  • W. J. Young
  • J. W. Downer
  • E. M. Wolfe
  • John A. Lewis
  • R. Chisholm
  • B.H. Carnahan
  • Joseph Elder

    1879

    Mayor - H. D. Hancock


    Council:

  • W. J. Young
  • B. H. Carnahan
  • J. H. Oberly
  • T. J. Moran
  • K. Kugler
  • E.M. Wolfe
  • Thomas Arnold
  • J. A. Lewis
  • George T. Nichols
  • Thomas Downer
  • W. Davis
  • R. Chisholm

    1880

    Mayor - John H. Oberly


    Council:

  • Young
  • Carnahan
  • W. J. Kramer
  • Joseph Reid
  • Thomas Moran
  • Matthew Derrick
  • C. H. Lay, Jr.
  • Lewis
  • Davis
  • J. McCollum
  • Kugler
  • Nichols

    1881

    Mayor - John H. Oberly


    Council : (common & select)

  • Carnahan
  • L. Cohn
  • Cowell
  • Derrick
  • C.H. Duncan
  • William Dwyer
  • Hugh Duffy
  • Kramer
  • Lewis
  • Lay
  • Moran
  • McCollum
  • S. A. McAlevy
  • Nichols
  • R. H. Renwick
  • Young
  • T. A. McLaughlin
  • K. Chickering

    1882

    Mayor - A. J. Greenfield


    Council:

  • Carnahan
  • Cohn
  • Cowell
  • Derrick
  • A. B. Davitt
  • John Graham
  • Moran
  • McCollum
  • McAlevy
  • I. I. Wagner
  • Renwick
  • Young
  • McLaughlin
  • Chickering
  • Dwyer
  • Duncan
  • W. J. Innis

    1883

    Mayor - A. J. Greenfield


    Council:

  • Davitt
  • Dwyer
  • McLaughlin
  • R. G. Collins
  • W. R. Spear
  • D. J. Kahan
  • Derrick
  • I. S. Gibson
  • McCollum
  • D. W. Lindersmith
  • D. S. Davis
  • D. Fisher
  • Chickering
  • Cowell
  • Renwick
  • John Fornof
  • Graham
  • Innis
  • S. L. Maxwell
  • W. Davis

    1884

    Mayor - Daniel Fisher


    Council:

  • H. L. McCance
  • Fornof
  • E. L. Reynolds
  • W.G. Hunt
  • Charles A. Cooper
  • John R. Monks
  • Graham
  • G. E. Johnson
  • G. W. Parker
  • Fisher
  • Gibson
  • Charles Adams
  • McCollum
  • Maxwell
  • Davis
  • W.H. Aungst
  • Derrick
  • Lindersmith
  • Kahan
  • C. L. Carrington

    1885

    Mayor - Daniel Fisher


    Council:

  • McCance
  • Fornof
  • Reynolds
  • Hunt
  • Derrick
  • Lindersmith
  • John Crimmin
  • W. J. Tinthoff
  • Fisher
  • E. J. Ross
  • Parker
  • Maxwell
  • J.A. Lewis
  • James Lewis
  • Aungst
  • W. D. Rider
  • Cooper
  • Adams
  • Johnson
  • Graham

    1886

    Mayor - Thomas R. Cowell


    Council:

  • Fornof
  • Hunt
  • Fulmer
  • Cooper
  • Parker
  • W.J. Taylor
  • Tintoff
  • Aungst
  • Lindersmith
  • Ross
  • S. S. Culbertson
  • Roess
  • Rider
  • Derrick
  • McCance
  • Crimmin
  • Adams
  • J. A. Lewis
  • C. F. Hartwell
  • James Lewis

    1887

    Mayor - Thomas R. Cowell


    Council:

  • Thomas Nolan
  • Dwyer
  • Lewis
  • W. R. Barr
  • J. T. Fulmer
  • J. H. Payne
  • W. W. Knowles
  • Taylor
  • John Gilmore
  • Stubler
  • Lindersmith
  • Culbertson
  • J. B. Berry
  • Hartwell
  • H. Naylor
  • Lewis
  • Rider
  • Aungst
  • Graham
  • Steele
  • L. Roess
  • F. Eichner

    1888

    Mayor - J. H. Payne


    Council:

  • Nolan
  • Thomas
  • Graham
  • Gilmore
  • Steele
  • Stubler
  • Savage
  • Culbertson
  • Lindersmith
  • Breckenridge
  • A. Bair
  • W. L. Fair
  • W. H. Berry
  • F. H. Taylor
  • J. B. Berry
  • W. R. Barr
  • Davis
  • Dwyer
  • Lewis

    1889

    Mayor - J. H. Payne


    Council:

  • Nolan
  • Graham
  • Dwyer
  • Barr
  • J.R. Steele
  • Lewis
  • Thomas Thomas
  • P. Stubler
  • T. Savage
  • William Dougherty
  • J. F. Campbell
  • J. Eisenbeis
  • J. W. Thompson
  • A. N. Breckenridge
  • J.B. Berry
  • A.W. Alsbaugh
  • M.J. Dale
  • L.H. Rudiselle
  • W. H. Seaton
  • Fair
  • Davis
  • F. H. Taylor

    Contributor
    Penny Kulbacki
    minnick862@verizon.net

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