Since we’re in the ‘Oil Valley’ again I would like to relate a story I’ve learned recently. I’m intrigued by the insight & ingenuity the early oil pioneers showed here. This particular tale reminds me of Jed Clampett of the ‘Beverly Hillbillies’. Seems this fella’ by the name of A. C. Kepler and three companions obtained an oil lease of an acre of ground on the Hyde & Egbert farm that was already producing. Kepler dreamed he and a coquette, a loose woman, were out on that farm when an Indian appeared with bow & arrow. According to Kepler, the Indian was gonna’ kill him with bow & arrow when the coquette crawled up handing him a rifle. He shot the Indian who vanished and oil bubbled up from the ground. Visiting his brother who superintended the farm, he recognized the scene of his dreams, secured a lease, and bored the Coquette Well in the spring of 1864. The well flowed oil at a rate of 1200 barrels a day, settling to a modest 800 barrels a day for the first year. At this time oil was ‘On the jump’ and the first cargo of ten thousand barrels brought $90,000 during the wells first ten days of prodution.
Kepler also charged spectators 10 cents each, to view the flowing oil. Like he really needed the monies generated from this venue. He later sold his interest in the well for $145,000.
So much fer’ the story tellin’. We are here fer’ just 2 days then we’re gonna’ light a shuck fer’ The Land o’ Cheese Heads. That’s right Monday morn’ we’re headin’ fer’ Wisconsin to our good friends Barb & Noel. It’s there 50th Anniversary and they called to invite us and sure wanted us there so, Why Not?
So fer’ the next few days, it may not be excitin’ cause we’re gonna’ try an make a B-line fer’ Barb & Noel’s. There’ll be some backroads and some o’ them big blue roads and I hope to get there in three days, or so.
That’s all fer’ now. Hope to see ya down the road as we’re;
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