 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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