"That reminds me of the old Darr Gas and Oil Company. In 1921, Frank Sloat, he was a Hamilton resident, got interested in the gas that was seeping up through Four Mile Creek. You could see these bubbles coming up. Frank, he would take a five gallon can, cut the bottom out of it, light the gas, and the flames would rise two or three feet high. So the Darr Gas and Oil Company was formed with local money out of Hamilton. It incorporated, by subscription, for $100,000. My father was one of the directors and contributed a little money towards it. They employed a driller from Kentucky. He had a portable rig, powered by a steam boiler. The first well was drilled in 1922 on one of our farms across the road from the Darrtown cemetery. They found gas at about four hundred feet. They used the gas from this well, instead of a coal-fired boiler, and moved to well number two, which was about fifty feet north and drilled about fourteen hundred feet. They used the gas from the shallow well for the boiler to propel the rig for the second well. They found a lot of low-pressure gas. Then, they moved about two thousand feet north, up on more or less rolling ground, still on one of our farms, and went down about 750 feet. When they brought the well in, they usually hired somebody else to spring the well in. Not the local drillers; and the guy that brought the well in used twenty-five quarts of nitroglycerin, which was way too much. It just blew up the casing and ruined the well. They always figured that guy was paid off to put the company out of business. But in 1925, the first two wells were connected together. They had all this casing left over that was piled up for several years. So my father went out to Terre Haute, Indiana to some gas supply company and made a deal where he traded them this eight-inch casing for two-inch pipe. It's about two miles from this well down to the big house. And the house was piped for gas. We used that, until my dad died in 1948. The gas was piped into the furnaces, four fireplaces and the burners in each of the bedrooms upstairs. Periodically, we would have the water bailed out of those wells, because it was low-pressure. We had to put a compressor in one of the buildings there to bring the gas in. It wasn't very dependable. In the winter time, I would come home and mother would say the gas was off. I would have to take a couple of pipe wrenches and start running the line back. The gas line was on the surface of the ground and at every contour of the ground there would be a drain plug at the lowest level. The gas wasn't strong enough to push through the water and the moisture would collect and then if that damn thing would freeze, you didn't know when you'd have gas again. I could always tell where the problem was because I could hear the flow of gas. Sometimes I would have to walk the complete line and sometimes I would get by and only have to walk half. It seemed like, in the spring of the year, when the farmers would start plowing and open up the soil, the gas would get low until we would get a good rain. Then it would seal the ground and we would have more pressure then."

Dear Sirs,  I have been researching some letters written in September and October of 1901 (from Darrtown and Fosters, Ohio) that reference the "Darrtown Gas Co."  and an individual by the name of Frank W. Clements representing the company and an oil well that was being drilled.  I would be very interested in knowing if there is a history of oil and gas production in your area, and if there is any history extant for this company.  My interest is in the petroleum history of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia; I collect ephemera and historical documents related to this area.  Any insight you could provide would be most appreciated.  Thanks for your time and consideration.  Clifford W. Woodward

"1901_1 - Drilling for Gas Begins at Darrtown BEGIN BORING TUESDAY Gas Promoters Push Their Work at Darrtown Derrick in Place on the Nichols Farm George H. Scott in the City Today The derrick on the farm of J. W. Nichol, near Darrtown, is now finished and in place, the engines in position and everything is in readiness for the beginning of operations, except for putting in the drills, which will be done at once. Drilling will begin Tuesday afternoon. George H. Scott of the firm Scott and Ball, of Muncie, Indiana, was in the city today and all arrangements for the active work of development were completed and the work will be pushed as rapidly as possible. The company is composed of George Rentschler, president; Peter Schwab, vice-president; L. P. Clawson, secretary and treasurer; and three officers with J. W. Nichol and Gottlieb Wagonfield constitute the board of directors. The company has opened an office in Darrtown with Frank W. Clements in charge and everything is now in fine business shape."

The Dayton Herald – April 4, 1925 – page 20 ENGINEERS START FIELD TESTS Result will Determine Further Work of Drilling at Darrtown “Hamilton, April 4 – Engineers began work Saturday to determine whether or not it will be advisable to continue work in drilling for gas near Darrtown, Ohio. The development is contemplated on a 5,000-acre tract of land on which three gas wells already have been drilled. C.J. Jay, gas engineer for the Union Gas and Electric company, will be in charge of the investigation and W. W. Freeman, president of the company, is awaiting the result of these tests. The wells already drilled are the property of Hamilton interests which are said to hold a lease on the land for all gas and oil rights. The investigation by engineers of the Union Gas and Electric company are the result, it was reported, of an agreement between Mr. Freeman and Hamilton business men. In recent tests, made by geologists from Miami University, it was believed that gas and possibly oil might be found in the vicinity of Darrtown.”

Hamilton Evening Journal - April 4, 1925, page 11 TESTS FOR GAS WELLS To Be Made Near Darrtown by U. G. & E. Engineers Soon “In accordance with an arrangement made several months ago, engineers for the Union Gas and Electric company of Cincinnati, are planning to make an investigation to determine whether or not gas is to be found in land holdings near Darrtown. The agreement to make such an investigation and to drill wells testing the possibilities for the drilling for gas was made between Union Gas and Electric company officials and Hamilton men who are interested in the LaDarr company. This company holds a lease on approximately 5,000 acres of land near Darrtown, it was reported. Gas wells already drilled on the land indicate, it is said, that there are large gas fields from which an enormous supply of natural gas may be obtained. Professors in the geology department at Miami University have made a number of surveys on the field and have stated at various periods, that gas and oil may be found in that vicinity. W. W. Freeman, president of the Union Gas & Electric company, of Cincinnati, stated today that there are no new developments and that, as yet, engineers of the company have not made great headway in an investigation. With the coming of summer, the work will be advanced.” WEBMASTER NOTE: This article cites the “Hamilton men who are interested in the LaDarr company.” Presumably, this verifies that LaDarr was the official name of the Darrtown business.

Dayton Daily News – April 4, 1925 – page 13 Union Company Made Drill on Tract Near Darrtown C. J. Jay, chief gas engineer of the Union Gas and Electric Company, today started investigation of a 50,000-acre tract of land* near Darrtown to determine whether or not it would be advisable to develop this section as a gas field. Three wells drilled in by the LaDarr Oil Company, of Hamilton, are said to be yielding 800,000 cubic feet a day. These wells were drilled in about eight months, after the LaDarr company had secured oil and gas leases on the property. Gas was struck at depths ranging from 125 to 897 feet. W. W. Freeman, president of the Union, Gas and Electric Company, declares that the future interest of his company in the field will depend on the findings of Engineer Jay. *Webmaster Note: The reported 50,000-acre tract of land (in the first sentence above) is likely a typographical error. One section of Milford Township equals 640 acres. There are 36 sections in Milford Township, which means that there are 23,040 acres in all of Milford Township, which is far short of 50,000 acres.

Hamilton Evening Journal (Hamilton, Ohio) July 9, 1925 Will again seek gas at Darrtown “Oxford, Ohio, July 9 – Residents of Darrtown and vicinity are again interested in what they sincerely hope may develop into an oil boom. The LaDarr Oil company, which held extensive leases on farmland in the vicinity of Darrtown, and which a few years ago made an effort to locate oil and gas, has sold out entirely to the Union Gas and Electric Co., of Cincinnati, and this company, it is understood, will shortly begin the work of drilling for oil. It is stated that a derrick and all drilling equipment is now on a sidetrack at McGonigle, and will, in a few days, be moved to the Ward farm, south of Darrtown on Four Mile Creek. This is the location chosen for the first trial for oil. It is understood that the drilling equipment to be used will enable workmen to go down at least 3,500 feet.”

"The Richmond item – April 11, 1902 – page 1. NATURAL GAS NEAR DARRTOWN The exploration for natural gas in the vicinity of Darrtown is to be prosecuted with greater vigor than ever in the near future. The well is now down about 1,620 feet and the last report of the drillers was that they had struck Trenton rock. This indicates gas or oil producing strata and, if it proves true, will considerably revolutionize geological ideas in Ohio. The company, the Darrtown Gas Co., now proposes and will make the test to the full limit and expect to drill down to depth of at least 3,000 feet. If there is oil or gas in this vicinity, they intend to find it."

The Journal News – June 1, 1923 – page 16 Heavy Gas Flow Near Darrtown Well To Go Deeper LeDarr Oil and Gas Company to Ignore Strike at Present Gas was struck at 130 feet in the first well drilled by the LeDarr Oil and Gas Company on the Mee farm one mile west of Darrtown Thursday. The flow was estimated at 150,000 to 200,000 cubic feet a day. The gas flowed through the 10-inch casing, with considerable pressure and gave evidence of being a permanent flow. Last night, the gas was piped away from the rigging and lighted. Hundreds of people visited the scene and witnessed the spectacle, as the large gas flow was consumed in a brilliant blaze. Today, additional casing was to be driven down into the well to shut out the gas, so that drilling may proceed. By driving down the casing, it is extended past the strata from which the gas has been flowing. Thus, the work will continue without danger of asphyxiation or fire. The gas flow already struck will be ignored for the present time. Persons familiar with gas and oil drilling operations were jubilant after the first strike. The heavy gas flow was interpreted as an encouraging sign. The LeDarr Oil and Gas company has been quietly working for some time on the well. The rigging was erected and drilling started by N. F. Hughes, drilling contractor, Gibsonburg. A carload of coal and 1,000 feet of casing are on the site. Two crews of men are at work, so that the drilling proceeds 24 hours a day. F. Sloat is president of the LeDarr Oil and Gas company which maintains headquarters in the Rentschler building.

The Journal News – Hamilton, - August 19, 1922 – page 1 Darrtown Oil Quest Progress Preliminary work on the LaDarr Oil and Gas Company’s gas well operations near Darrtown is nearly completed, F. J. J. Sloat, one of the officials of the company, said this morning. From the geologist’s report, and from other available indications, Mr. Sloat believes that the drilling will be “worth the effort.” The LaDarr company has been working in the Darrtown field for some time.

The Lima (Ohio) News – May 15, 1889 – page 4 “At a point near Darrtown, Ohio, a village, eight miles west of Hamilton, a flow of natural gas has been discovered in a creek nearby. The gas bubbles up through the water and escapes in the air. Parties amuse themselves by lighting paper and, with a long pole, hold it over the point at which the gas escapes and are rewarded with quite a blaze. A number of citizens from Hamilton have visited the point and an effort will be made to sink a well in the neighborhood and test the flow of gas.”

Hamilton Evening Journal - August 6, 1892 - page 4 The natural gas which has, for years, been escaping in Four Mile Creek, near Wm. Lane’s Mill is increasing in strength. It can plainly be seen from the bank of the creek, as it makes the water boil in a space twenty feet square; this gas has been escaping for the past twenty-two years. About three years ago, Joe Bufler, Darrtown, thought he would satisfy the minds of the people in the neighborhood, so he sank a large barrel in the creek, directly over the largest vein and bored a hole in the top of the barrel; he put a lighted match to the hole and a flame three feet high shot up. This place has been visited by hundreds of people and several scientific men who have visited the locality say the gas escapes from a strong supply through a small passageway in the earth, the depth of which is not known. It is supposed that this crevice is wearing larger, hence the smell will be more perceptible. It is strange no one has the energy to develop this neighborhood, as there is surely gas in abundance.