1865 Oil Baron - Frank LUCKENBACH, Venango county, PA

Am not related.May be of interest to someone who is.I have no further info but additional old newspaper extracts may be found at RL:

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Vern D
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Transcribed by Dee Sardoc
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Stockton Daily Independent
Stockton, San Joaquin Co., CA
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>>THURSDAY, 23 MAR 1865<<

AN OLD STOCKTONIAN in LUCK - Frank LUCKENBACH, formerly of this city but now in Franklin, Venango county, Pennsylvania, writes under date of Jan. 30th, 1865, to DOHRMANN & SMALLFIELD, that he has "struck oil," and is now a rich man. We extract the following from the letter: "I am perfectly astonished at this place. It is without exception the greatest money-making place I have seen. California in her best days did not begin to equal it. There is a large scope of country, comprising 8 or 10 towns that is fully as good as this place. The great source of wealth is petroleum. You can see hundreds of wells in operation, each one either pumping or flowing from 15 to 600 barrels per day. This is no fish yarn; it is a candid truth. You will remember of my telling you about my brother making money so fast; well, he far exceeds my wildest expectations. He is now with me at this place. He is now worth $250,000 in cash and bonds in bank at Philadelphia, besides owning, in fee simple, 4 good flowing wells, and a tract of 500 acres of oil land in Kentucky, and 1 200 rods wide and over 6 miles long in West Virginia- I am now offered $60,000 for my interest in one of our wells, but I refused the offer, as in the spring I can get $100,000 as easily as I can get $60,000 now.So you see I have not lost anything by coming home."