ROUSEVILLE

From "The Historical Album and Daily Program, Venango County Sesquicentennial, 1805 - 1955"

Rouseville situated at the mouth of Cherry Run, four miles up Oil Creek from Oil City, is on the tract of land originally seated by Francis Culbertson. Except for the Hays saw and grist mill, built there at an early day, the locality was a quiet farming section until awakened by the discovery of oil.

Mr. H. R. Rouse drilled the first well in the community. He was a lawyer, teacher and scholar and was one of the first to grasp the great possibilities oil held for the community. He showed his faith by joining others in making extensive leases of what afterward proved to be as productive as any other territory in Oil Creek. He had barely entered upon his career as an oil operator when he was fatally injured in an explosion at the Merrick Well on the evening of the day it was struck, April 17, 1861.

Rouseville, as a village, sprang quickly into existence. It was originally known as Buchanan Farm, but in February 1861, Allen Wright, president of a local oil company, substituted Rouseville in having his letterheads printed, and the name has remained to perpetuate the memory of this gifted man.

Train service was available to the people as early as March 5, 1866 when the Reno, Oil Creek and Pithole Company began operations. Two newspapers were published, The Evening Bulletin started in 1871 and The Pennsylvanian in 1872.

The Methodist Church was erected in 1865 and shortly thereafter followed the Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist and Catholic churches.

Like so many other communities, when oil production declined, business activities suffered as usual, though there are a couple of large refineries still operated in the area together with many other prosperous business establishments.

Transcribed by Penny Haylett Minnick
minnick862@verizon.net

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.