Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1899 — The Gillam Oil Field. [ARTICLE]

The Gillam Oil Field.

Information regarding the Gillam township oil excitement is rather meager, farther than that qnite a number of new wells have been drilled, and that considerable oil has been found. Also that storage tanks are to be erected at once, in Medaryville, to which the oil will be hauled or piped from the wells. One of the new wells is located some 300 or 400 yards from the original Swisher well, bored as a water well, in 1892. This new well was “shot” recently, and probably as a result of the shooting, the Swisher well has begun to flow of itself. It began last Sunday, while the family was away, and when they returned they found the .whole yard coated with petroleum. Mr. Swisher at once got barrels and tanks and is saving the oil fast as it flows. It is an extra fine quality of lubricating oil and worth much more than ordinary petroleum. When the new well near Swisher’s was shot the explosion blew petrolenm all over the neighborhood, and at Mr. Swisher’s place so much of it rained down as to kill every growing thing in his garden and also the leaves on his trees.