Chapter V

Oil Boom and Industry

July 24,1886, had been a hot humid summer day. Toward evening though, a Cool breeze had set in making a quite comfortable audience assembled at Town Hall. A traveling theatrical troup was to present "The Mikado." A few minutes before curtain time, Bob Gordon, George Orphal and John Hauss were catching the last cool breeze before entering the auditorium. They had been talking about the well being drilled on the Armstrong property in the east part of town. Orphal held up a finger for silence.

"Listen ! You can almost hear it from here - whomp - whomp - whomp ! Do you really think they'll find oil this far from Lima?"

"Hard to say from all I hear," Hauss replied. "They passed a thousand feet deep yesterday. Lima hit oil a lot less than that."

"Well, I can say one thing for sure," added Gordon, "if they find oil around here, this place will never be the same again. I've got a few options for drilling on several farms now. George, why don't you see what you can do too."

"Bob, that's just too risky for my blood. I'd rather have an option on your race horse, hosses I know!"

"Well we'll soon find out - but now we'd best get inside if we want to see the show. It's pretty good. I saw it in Cincinnati a couple years ago when I was there on the canal boat," stated John Hauss as he turned to go up the Stairway.

A few minutes later, the orchestra had struck up the overture. The curtain parted and the Oriental Dancing Chorus was into its first number. The first part of the play moved swiftly, and the Great Mikado had made his first entrance. Before he was able to deliver his first line, a commotion was heard outside. Heavy feet were stomping up the old wooden staircase. Someone whose name has never been recorded, burst into the theatre.

"They struck oil ! They struck oil", the visitor shouted.

"Oil," "Oil," "Oil," the crowd echoed, and every man, woman and child went flying out of the hall. The place was empty in seconds. Poor Mikado stood staring at the madly rushing crowd. As the last one scooted out the exit, he roared in his best Thespian tone, "Hell, I never saw an oil well ! Let's go ! " and with that he plunged his sword into the stage and took off with the entire cast in hot pursuit. The sword quivered and swayed long after the multitude had departed. That was the last of "Mikado" for that night !

All traffic was headed east that night. By foot, by horse or by carriage, citizens of every age and stature were converging on David Armstrong's cow pasture. A location about where Armstrong Park is now situated, was the site of what was to become Saint Marys miracle of prosperity. Only a few minutes after sundown on that July 24th evening, the drillers cut through the last layer of rock into the oil bearing sands. With mighty pressure, the oil and natural gas shot up the eleven hundred feet of the drill hole carrying the drills upward and shot them a hundred feet into the air. All night long, as practically the entire population of Saint Marys watched in awe, the black gold of petroleum spewed forth. Gigantic bubbles of gas burst the ears with their mighty roar as they were released from the captivity of 50,000 years.

What a mixture of citizenry witnessed this great event ! The elite of the town in their finest "going to the theatre" clothes, shopkeepers and bartenders mingled with bankers and preachers, factory hands and farmers alike were so enthralled that even the Mikado and his Oriental Girls Dancing Chorus in full stage attire were no attraction compared to what Mother Earth was giving birth to!

This particular well was not destined, however, to be the foundation of a great fortune. In a few weeks it slowed down to several barrels a day, but it proved that oil was here. A few months later, one of the best wells in the area was shot on the Mike Hauss farm just east of Saint Marys. This one well produced almost half a million dollars worth of oil and gas in its lifetime. From the Hauss well with its plentiful supply of natural gas was laid gas mains into the town. By 1888, the village issued $100,000 in bonds and gas mains were extended to all parts of town. All the gas that could be used for heating, cooking and lighting were available according to the size of pipe that connected to the main. A one-inch pipe cost 75 cents a month while a two-inch pipe cost only $1.50.