{"id":493,"date":"2016-07-28T00:00:01","date_gmt":"2016-07-28T04:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/usparks\/?p=493"},"modified":"2016-07-28T10:55:17","modified_gmt":"2016-07-28T14:55:17","slug":"oil-region-national-heritage-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/usparks\/oil-region-national-heritage-area\/","title":{"rendered":"Oil Region National Heritage Area: Birthplace of the oil industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

W<\/span>hen a dam burst on an already swollen Oil Creek in June 1892, residents in Oil City responded to rushing flood waters by fleeing to higher ground or upper stories of homes and businesses.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what followed that turned a tragedy into a disaster.<\/p>\n

The flood waters carried away storage tanks at an oil refinery containing oil byproducts \u2014 volatile components of the black gold that put Northwestern Pennsylvania on the map. The tanks spilled flammable liquid into the surging water and soon ignited, setting off other fires and explosions as the flood overran Oil Creek toward the Allegheny River.<\/p>\n

\"oil-map\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There was panic as people tried to escape burning or drowning, the Pittsburg Press, a precursor to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, wrote on June 6, 1892, the day after the flood and fire.<\/p>\n

Yet, \u201cas soon as citizens began to realise the full extent of the terrible calamity that had fallen upon the city, they organized into relief squads to look after those who were caught in the fire and flood.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 100 men, women and children were killed, in addition to the wounded and extensive damage done to Oil City and its sister petroleum town Titusville to the north.<\/p>\n

Newspapers said the disaster could rival that of the infamous Johnstown flood of 1889<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Oil Region National Heritage Area<\/h2>\n

Encompasses Venango and parts of Crawford counties<\/p>\n

Oil Region Alliance
\n217 Elm St.
\nOil City, PA 16301-1412<\/p>\n

1-800-483-6264<\/p>\n

NPS website<\/a>, oilregion.org<\/a><\/p>\n