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'Tanks and loading rack at Volcano Junction. Here the Sand Hill and Laurel Fork Railroad met the Baltimore and Ohio. Both standard gauge tracks.'

1. Tanks and Loading Rack, Volcano, W. Va.

'Remains of Volcano in 1907 Looking South.'

2. Volcano, W. Va.

'Early tools used in the Volcano fields. Originals in Marietta, Ohio museum.'

3. Tools Used in Oil Fields of Volcano, W. Va.

John Schaffer's store which was the last building standing in Volcano, West Virginia.

4. Schaffer's Store, Volcano, W. Va.

'Deserted site of Volcano in 1953 looking south from large tank.'

5. Deserted Site of Volcano, W. Va.

6. Woodburn Seminary, Morgantown, W. Va.

7. Woodburn Seminary, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

'#1 R.H. Gratz, BLW 1743, 7/18/68, 15x18" 44 0 21 ton. Ancient engine, the Gratz, one of the two engines which operated on the Laurel Fork and Sand Hill Rail Road.  Taken around 1880-1890.  Two persons on the tender are unidentified, but Swearingen said the two others were David Reece, engineer, and C. M. Jones, master mechanic.  The engine was scrapped in 1897, along with th railroad system.  (Picture to accompany Parkersburg News article, July 10, 1960).'

8. Engine on the Laurel Fork and Sand Hill Railroad

Note the steamboat on the Monongahela River below Woodburn Circle.

9. WVU from University Hill, Morgantown, W. Va.

10. Gusher, Volcano, W. Va.

'The Volcano, Wood County oil fields, once the scene of fabulous supplies of oil, has become one of the ghosts areas of the county. The photo shows current operations at an old center, wherein an endless cable rolls over the wheels, driving the pumping mechanism for 25 wells in a large area.'

11. Oil Pumping Mechanism, Volcano, W. Va.

12. Barge on Ohio River Possibly Wood County, W. Va.

Stiles Oil Company Headquarters, First Street, Parkersburg, West Virginia.

13. Stiles Oil Company Headquarters, Parkersburg, W. Va.

'Concrete oil tank, probably only one built. The remants of two tanks (concrete) are visible from the top of Petroleum Road. These tanks, and the one in this photo, appear to be water tanks. Water was needed for the steam engines. (Note the water in your tank) Oil tanks were either wood, or metal. The metal tanks could be moved from one site to another. When the gushers first came in there was labor unrest because the coopers were making more money than the oil workers-barrels could not be made fast enough to meet the demand.'--Mike Naylor, 03/2006

14. Concrete Oil Tank, Volcano, W. Va.

15. Zero Oil Company, Parkersburg, W. Va.

'Parkersburg Headquarters of Stiles Oil Company First Street.'

16. Zero Oil Company, Parkersburg, W. Va.

'Protestant Episcopal Church, Volcano, later moved to Kenova. There is quite a story behind this church. Mrs. William C. Stiles, Jr. missed her church in Philadelphia. The community of Volcano built an Episcopal Church for $3000. Mrs. Stiles was very well liked. Red Neck Nellie owned a bordello in Volcano aptly named the Golden Horn, Nellie, especially when drunk, liked to preach and Nellie wanted to contribute to the new church. Mrs. Stiles refused Nellie's money. Nellie, being an enterprising business lady, went to Parkersburg and enlised a minister to make her donation. Nellie and Mrs. Stiles were both happy.'--Mike Naylor, 03/2006.

17. Protestant Episcopal Church, Volcano, W. Va.

'First Stiles home, looking east from the road near pump station. Torn down about 1950.'

18. Stiles Home, Volcano, W. Va.

19. Unidentified Man Resting on a Cot Outdoors, Volcano, W. Va.

'The horizontal boards on the pumping station are called walking beams. Walking beams converted the horizontal energy to vertical(up and down motion)energy to pull the oil to the surface. Volcano had two newspaper: a) Volcano Lubrication and b) West Virginia Walking Beam.'--Mike Naylor, 03/2006

20. Wood Derrick and Pump Station, Volcano, W. Va.

21. Tank Car of the Zero Oil Company

22. Wooden Oil Derricks, Volcano, W. Va.

A gentleman is working with an early oil rig in Volcano, West Virginia.

23. Oil Rig Operation, Volcano, W. Va.

'The Episcopal Church that Red Neck Nellie helped to build. This picture was taken from an oil well derrick, another can be seen on the left, and at least 15 others are in the background.'

24. Episcopal Church, Volcano, W. Va.

'Old spring pole drilling rig in the Volcano oil field. Taken shortly after the Civil War.'

25. Spring Pole Drilling Rig, Volcano, W. Va.

26. Industrial Building, Volcano, W. Va.

Headquarters of Stiles Oil Company on First Street in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

27. Headquarters of Stiles Oil Company, Parkersburg, W. Va.

'Large tank built in Volcano after the railroad was dismantled in 1898.'

28. Volcano, W. Va.

'Parkersburg Headquarters of Stiles Oil Company First Street.'

29. Zero Oil Company, Parkersburg, W. Va.

30. Pump Station, Volcano, W. Va.

"This huge gas engine is the source of power for the pumping of at least 25 oil wells in the Volcano area. Oil, once plentiful in the vicinity, has been used up to such an extent that production costs must be kept to a minimum by the use of cheap power. The engine power is transferred to the pumps by means of an endless cable.'--Back of photograph. 'William C. Stiles, Jr. introduced the endless cable  pumping system in 1874. He did not invent the endless cable system but was the first to use it in the production of oil. The John Roebling Comapny (NY) manufactured the cable used. This same cable used when Roebling built the Brooklyn Bridge. Roebling's son, Washington Roebling, played a very keen role in the Union victory of Gettysburg. Roebling never bothered to protect their cable-consided it to be a bother. The large wheel in this photo is a band wheel. It transfers the power from the engine to the endless cable system. The belt shown is probably leather. The power is geared up by passing over three belted wheels. The last wheel have a diameter of 18 feet. The 18 foot wheel travel very slowly, but very powerfully. Form it the power transfered to the cable system.'--Mike Naylor, 03/2006.

31. Gas Engine, Volcano, W. Va.

32. View of Ohio River Along West Virginia Shoreline

Headquarters of Stiles Oil Company on First Street in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

33. Headquarters of Stiles Oil Company, Parkersburg, W. Va.

The second Stiles house on the hill, southwest of Volcano, West Virginia.

34. Stiles Home, Volcano, W. Va.

'This fellow might be an oil field worker, but it appears that the horses are harnessed for plowing a field--note the location of device behind horse and furrowed field.'--Mike Naylor, 03/2006

35. Oil Field Teamster and Team, Volcano, W. Va.

36. Dirt Road to Oil Field, Volcano, W. Va.

37. Oil Derricks

38. Crew in front of a Pump Station in Volcano, W. Va.

39. Industrial Building, Volcano, W. Va.

'Hard to see on original print, but it looks like he's holding a newspaper. The gentleman worked on the Laurel Fork and Sand Hill Railroad. This picture comes from a Parkersburg Sentinel article chronicling his experience. Parkersburg News July 10, 1960, page 6.'--Mike Naylor, 03/2006.

40. Railroad Man, Volcano, W. Va.

41. Oil Derricks in Volcano, W. Va.

'John Shaffer's Store which was still standing in 1953. Masonic Hall on the third floor still used in 1953.'

42. Store and Masonic Hall, Volcano, W. Va.

'The Volcano oil field was in Ritchie and Wood Counties; however the town of Volcano was in Wood County.'--Mike Naylor, 03/2006

43. Oil Well in Volcano, W. Va.

44. Wooden Oil Tanks, Volcano, W. Va.

45. Derricks in the Volcano Oil Field

46. Oil Well, Volcano, W. Va.

47. Scene on the Cheat River near Morgantown W.Va.

48. Scene on the Monongahela River, Morgantown, W.Va.

49. Camel Back Engine of Laurel Fork and Sand Hill Railroad, Volcano, W. Va.

'Cab of junked engine removed and used on other.  John Noon and Pat O'Brian shown scrapping one engine.'

50. Scrapping an Engine

Track foreman of the Laurel Fork and Sand Hill R.R. Drove first spike in road and pulled the last one in 1898.

51. John Noon

52. WVU Armory Building, Morgantown, W. Va.

53. Mackay Mill and Dam, Morgantown, W. Va.

54. WVU Cadet Corps

55. Morgantown Public School, Morgantown, W. Va.

56. WVU Agriculture Experiment Residence, Morgantown, W. Va.

57. WVU Agriculture Experiment Station, Morgantown, W. Va.

58. Science Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

59. Martin Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

60. Pipe Organ in Commencement Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

61. Cyprus Tree, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

62. Commencement Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

63. Woodburn Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

64. WVU Landscape, Morgantown, W. Va.

65. Commencement Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

66. Woodburn Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

67. Stewart Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

68. Chitwood Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

69. Greenmount Farm, Morgantown, W. Va

70. Chitwood Hall, WVU, Morgantown, W. Va.

71. Fair Ground, Looking North, Alderson, W. Va.

72. Main Hall, Fair Ground, Alderson, W. Va.