- Oil City, Pennsylvania
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Not to be confused with Oil City, Cambria County, Pennsylvania.For other places with the same name, see Oil City (disambiguation).
Oil City, Pennsylvania — City — Motto: "A Special Blend of People" 
Oil City, PennsylvaniaCoordinates: 41°25′42″N 79°42′26″W / 41.42833°N 79.70722°WCoordinates: 41°25′42″N 79°42′26″W / 41.42833°N 79.70722°W Country United States State Pennsylvania County Venango Settled 1824[citation needed] Incorporated (borough) 1862[citation needed] Incorporated (borough) 1868[citation needed] Incorporated (city) 1871[citation needed] Government – Type City Council – Mayor Sonja Hawkins Area – Total 4.7 sq mi (12.3 km2) – Land 4.5 sq mi (11.7 km2) – Water 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2) Population (2010) – Total 10,557 – Density 2,548.4/sq mi (984.9/km2) – Demonym Oil Citizen Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) – Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4) ZIP code 16301 Website www.oilcity.org Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil wells were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Wolf's Head motor oil companies. Tourism plays a prominent role in the region by promoting oil heritage sites, nature trails, and Victorian architecture. The population was 10,557 at the 2010 census.
Contents
History
In the early 17th century, the Seneca nation first settled in the region; by, the late 18th century Chief Cornplanter was given three tracts of land as a "gift" from the State of Pennsylvania. In 1818, local prospectors purchased the land and built a blast furnace, which closed in the early 1850s. As population in the area began to decline, Colonel Edwin L. Drake drilled the first commercially successful oil well on August 27, 1859, in nearby Titusville. A number of boomtowns came to life in the region, including Oil City, Titusville, Petroleum Center, Pithole, and Rynd Farm.
Barges were used to transport the oil down Oil Creek and into Oil City, where it was transported to steamboats or bulk barges to continue on to Pittsburgh and other locations. Oil City was founded in 1860,[citation needed] incorporated as a borough in 1868,[citation needed] and chartered as a city in 1874.[citation needed] The Borough of Oil City was incorporated as a city in 1871.[citation needed] The city was partially destroyed by flood in 1865 and by both flood and fire in 1866 and again in 1882; on this last occasion, several oil tanks that were struck by lightning gave way, and Oil Creek carried a mass of burning oil into the city, where some 60 lives were lost and property valued at more than $1 million was destroyed. Oil City grew into a thriving community through the later half of the 19th century and into the 20th century. By the 1990s, Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Wolf's Head had all relocated their headquarters elsewhere. However, some oil wells continue to produce a steady supply of quality petroleum.
Regional governments and public organizations promote tourism by thoroughly educating the public about oil history. Oil City's location along the Allegheny River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains provides excellent opportunities for exploring Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Geography
Oil City, Pennsylvania is located at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Oil Creek at 41°25′42″N 79°42′26″W / 41.428280°N 79.707327°W.[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12 km2), of which, 4.5 square miles (12 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (4.65%) is water.
Many layers of rock and sedimentary material containing fossils can be seen on the bluffs in and around Oil City. Oil City is framed by the surrounding foothills with the Allegheny River winding through downtown.
Ice jam on Oil Creek near Oil City, Pennsylvania
The Allegheny River and Oil Creek freeze occasionally during the winter, sometimes causing ice jams; although remediation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reduced ice formation via a floating ice control structure on the river and a fixed concrete weir on the banks of the creek.[2] Flooding of the river flats is a possibility throughout the year due to ice jams, excessive snow melt, large volume storms and hurricane or tropical storm remnants
Demographics
Historical populations Census Pop. %± 1880 7,315 — 1890 10,932 49.4% 1900 13,264 21.3% 1910 15,657 18.0% 1920 21,274 35.9% 1930 22,075 3.8% 1940 20,379 −7.7% 1950 19,581 −3.9% 1980 13,881 — 1990 11,949 −13.9% 2000 11,504 −3.7% 2010 10,557 −8.2% As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 11,504 people, 4,762 households, and 2,981 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,548.4 people per square mile (984.9/km2). There were 5,276 housing units at an average density of 1,168.8 per square mile (451.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.84% White, 0.89% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 4,762 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,060, and the median income for a family was $36,149. Males had a median income of $30,072 versus $19,697 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,696. About 16.2% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
Revitalization
In recent years, Oil City has undergone a renovation of the downtown area. Older sidewalks have been torn up and replaced with new sidewalks along with a Victorianization of the architecture in the Historic District. Anodized bronze plaques have been mounted near historic areas to describe the event that happened there. A current revitalization effort is underway to attract working artists to the area along with additional businesses.
Notable people
- Dave Smalley - bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of The Choir, Raspberries, and the Secret, was born in Oil City
- Charles Almanzo Babcock - Superintendent of Oil City schools in the 1890s, credited with the creation of Bird Day
- William Holmes Crosby, Jr. - One of the founding fathers of hematology
- Francis "Gabby" Gabreski – the top American fighter ace in Europe during World War II and a jet fighter ace during the Korean War
See also
- Oil Creek Library District
- The Oil Region
References
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Pittsburgh District – Oil City, PA Ice Control Structure". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2005-12-09. http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/fc/oilcity.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- City website
- Venango Area Chamber of Commerce
- The Derrick – local newspaper
- Artist relocation and arts revitalization
Municipalities and communities of Venango County, Pennsylvania Cities Franklin | Oil City
Boroughs Barkeyville | Clintonville | Cooperstown | Emlenton‡ | Pleasantville | Polk | Rouseville | Sugarcreek | Utica
Townships CDPs Unincorporated
communityGhost town Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Categories:- Cities in Pennsylvania
- Populated places in Venango County, Pennsylvania
- History of the petroleum industry in the United States
- Populated places established in 1824
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