Four Mile Valley

The Four Mile Valley was one of the most prosperous oil fields in the area. This was one of, if not the most desirable land to hold if you were an oil farmer. The Allegany Oil Company was the most successful oil company in the area with holdings on much of this land until the industry here faded away when competition emerged.

The Four Mile Valley is just south of the Allegany River. This valley was home of some of the most successful oil operations in the area. The valley was also the first place in the town that oil was successfully drilled. The oil was struck in 1877 and the well was just over 1300 feet deep. This was the beginning of the Allegany Oil Company's prosperity. One farm in the valley, the Joseph Waters Farm, had a few wells drilled on it. One of the wells, the Providence Well, was owned by John R Bramley, who claimed that the location of the well was brought to him in a dream. He said he was "directed by Divine Providence" to drill the specific location. It ended up pouring 200 barrels a day when it was first drilled so his dream turns out to have been correct. It was named the Providence well because of his dream. 200 barrels a day was a lot at the time, with most wells pumping around 8 a day if that.

Four Mile was a true boom area for the oil industry in New York state as well as the country as a whole. Though Allegany wasn't the first place in the country oil was struck, it was the first in New York. This was huge for putting Allegany on the map since it is such a small town in the middle of nowhere, so for them to have been able to industrialize was a giant advantage. Also to have been such a prosperous boom town was amazing because it meant, for the small while the industry lasted here, that they had made a name for themselves.

The photo within this entry depicts a farm in the upper part of the valley. At this time the rigs were made of wood which is very interesting.

Eventually other places overtook the industry that the town had built. Places like Bradford Pennsylvania which is right down the road had a much more successful oil operation. Eventually Allegany's industry couldn't keep up and it was not worth all the work it took to pump the oil for it to go unappreciated and be overshadowed by Bradford.

The Four Mile Valley was a very desirable piece of land for oil in the area. Though the industry in Allegany does not exist anymore, the legacy left behind will never be forgotten. The impact the Allegany oil industry left on St Bonaventure as well will never be forgotten.

Herrick, John P. Empire Oil: the Story of Oil in New York State . New York , New York . Dodd, Mead, and Company , 1949.