| 8. | John K. HIBBARD was born on 23 Jan 1814 in S. Vermont (son of Henry Jedidiah (or Henry James White) HIBBARD and Margaret WESTBROOK); died on 18 Jul 1868 in Pennsylvania; was buried in 1868 in Greendale Cemetary, Meadville, PA. Notes:
In the fall of 1859 soon after the sinking of the Drake well, Mr. Barber, in company J. K. Hibbard and J. W. McIntrye, leased a part of the John McClintock farm, adjoining the Buchanan, where now is Rouseville. They at first dug a pit in the bank of the creek about six feet long and four feet wide, down to the bed rock. They pumped the water out of the hole. As the water afterwards soaked in, it bought with it globes oil.
After the pit filled and the surface water was covered with oil, they laid flat upon the oil a woolen blanket, which of course absorbed the oil, they then wrung the oil out of the blanket into a pail or small tub. In this way they got about eight gallons a day. Oil then was worth about a dollar a gallon.
They sold the first barrel of oil to Captain Hiram Hill, who kept a grocery store near the present Academy of Music, on Spring Street in Titusville. The barrell held about thirty gallons, for which Hill paid $25. They next sold a half interest in the well to Brewer, Watson & company, and John Kellogg.
They got a man named Davis and his son to "tramp" a well down, using a string of tools from Tarentum, which had been used there in boring for salt. When they reached with the spring pole appliance, a depth of one hundred and twenty-two feet, they struck what was afterward known as the first sand. Here gas appeared, and the hole filled with oil. They thought they had struck a good well. So they tubed the hole and shut off the water by a seed bag. This was at about 5 p. m. Then they pumped for a short time with the spring pole. On returning the next morning they found that the well had flowed during the night about six barrels of oil. The oil lay in hollow of the ground. The weather was cold and the oil was so heavy that it was thick as cold lard, so that it was collected by shoveling it with a scoop. After pumping for a day, very little more oil was got. So the tubing was pulled out, and drilling continued. At about the depth of two hundred feet a mud veinwas struck, which gave trouble to the drillers, until a large gas pipe, brought from Philadelphia, was put into the hole, thus shutting out the mud. This was the first casing ever used in an oil well. So they got a boiler and engine, retubed and again pumped the well, this time by steam. After pumping about two weeks and getting one hundred and fifty barrels, they decided to sink another well to hundred feet higher.
Source: OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE by Samuel P. Bates, 1899 on pg. 398.
John Hibbard is on the 1850 census in Crawford Co., Mayfield township, film #771 page 472 Sutro Library. John Hibbard on 1860 census in Crawford Co., film #M653 box #1099, Sutro Library. On this film in this household was William Ash, a United Brethen Minister born in Ohio. Age 23 years old.
According to Mytle Hibbard Dunn, Frank F. Hibbard's youngest daughter, the Hibbard's came from Holland to England because of their religion and came to the U. S. before the 13 colonies were formed. There was a colony of them in Meadville, Crawford, PA. John Henry & Martin James were the only one's to leave Pennsylvania.
John K. Hibbard could of been from Rutland City, Vermont other relatives were born there.
Buried:
The family lived 10 miles s.e. of Meadville.
John married Lucy PIERCE on 6 Dec 1835 in Pennsylvania. Lucy (daughter of Amos PIERCE and Lydia HALL) was born on 4 Mar 1818 in Vermont; died on 21 Aug 1904 in Fairfield Twp, PA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1912 - (111 years)