2013 RECREATION, PARK, and OPEN SPACE ... - Titusville City Hall

Historic Features
Titusville is at the heart of the area of western Pennsylvania that is often
referred to as “The Valley that Changed to World” with the birthplace of
the petroleum industry. From this valley, the initial oil boom was triggered
by Edwin Drake’s 1859 drilling of the world’s first successful commercial oil
well. From that point forward, the history of the Titusville region is almost
completely defined by the oil industry. The oil industry affected every
sector of the region’s history from transportation to housing, culture to
education, commerce and industry to the environment. Over 150 years
later the City and surrounding areas continue to be dotted with a host
of buildings, sites, artifacts, and museums that recall those days past.
Dozens of Victorian-style homes line City streets; relics can be found on
farms, along rivers and streams, and in populated areas; remnants of industrial and commercial buildings stand strong
representing the past; and the vivid memory of the industry that build the region remains strong.
The Oil Region Alliance manages the National and State Heritage areas.
The Drake Well Museum, located just south of the City, tells the story of the beginning of the modern oil industry with
videos, exhibits, operating oil field machinery, and historic buildings in a park setting. Visitors can enjoy a variety of
special events, educational programs, membership, volunteer, and shopping experiences on site.
Oil Creek State Park depicts not only the environmental impacts and changes of the region resulting from the oil
industry, but also features a host of historical sites, facilities, and artifacts. The train station at Petroleum Centre offers
displays and programs of the historic region. The Park also displays two historical tableaus. One is at the Hunt Farm,
with an engine house, various pumping jacks and stock tanks. From the 1940s to the 1960s, Ma-and-Pa oil operations
drilled and pumped oil using a gas engine to pump several wells, with the wells supplying gas to run the engine. The
other is the Benninghoff Farm displaying six 35-foot tall oil derricks, an oil barge and an engine house.
The early petroleum industry’s oil boom towns and important oil well
sites are in contrast with clean trout streams and forested hillsides seen
today throughout the park.
The Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad offers three-hour guided tour rides
through the Oil Valley that describe the people and places that make up
Pennsylvania Oil Country. The train stops at a number of train stations
that represent historic areas along the way.
Transportation
Major transportation routes that provide access to and from the
Titusville regions include three state highways.
• State Route 8 travels north from Oil Creek Township, Venango County, through the City of Titusville, continuing
northward through Oil Creek Township, and Hydetown and Centerville Boroughs as it heads toward the City
of Erie.
• From the east, State Route 27 comes into the City of Titusville through Southwest Township, Warren County, and
Oil Creek Township and Pleasantville in Venango County. From the City it heads eastward to the City of Meadville.
• State Route 89 begins in Titusville, travelling northward trough Oil Creek and Rome Townships.
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