Oil Field News

JOHNSON

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 10/3/2007 at 08:31:57

Jackson Sentinel
June 13, 1907
Oil Field News

Mr. Geo. Johnson is back from Beaumont, Texas to look after his oil well drilling enterprise in Maquoketa township.

Work at Johnson oil well No. 1 has been more or less interrupted the past week. After getting the new casing and shutting out the water the drill worked nicely for a time but this did not last long. As a point between eleven and twelve hundred feet down an unexpected new vein of water was struck. The well began to fill again and Tuesday afternoon the drilling tools were again stuck fast. An instrument called a Sup was sent for to be used in loosening up the drill and as we go to press work is stopped awaiting the arrival of this tool.

About a hundred visitors have been at the well the past week.
The Kirkbride drilling rig which has been expected to arrive any day has not yet put in its appearance.

Jackson Sentinel
June 20, 1907
Oil Field News

After a shut down of 12 days, work was resumed at the Johnson oil well this week at a depth of 1110 feet. So Mr. Johnson informs us. The reamer came and has been doing execution in the deep hole. Water is abundant and what a grand good thing it would be if the well was near the city where the enormous pure water supply could be utilized.

We are informed that S. Gallues of St. Louis, was the oil man who advanced the theory that decayed hogs and other carcasses sometimes produce that which might be taken for petroleum. It was not in any sense a theory of Prof. Calvin the Iowa geologist.

Visitors have not been so numerous at the oil well the past week.

We are informed that at present the oil seepings fail to appear on the surface of the water in the old oil hole and some of the oil men working at the rig have a theory for it.

Jackson Sentinel
June 27, 1907
Oil Field News

From Col. Clark, superintendent of Johnson oil well No. 1., we learn that drilling is progressing slowly and the depth so far attained is 1200 feet. The drill is now working in a dry formation of limestone but above it is a prolific water strata that keeps the well loaded with water most of the time. When the drillers succeed in shutting out this water with casing, the drill will go down more rapidly.

Frank Boleman returned to Casey, Ill., this week and Mr. McIntire took hold of the work at the drill once more.

Jackson Sentinel
July 4, 1907
Oil Field News

From Col. Clark, superintendent of the drilling crew at Johnson well No. 1, we learn that the well was 1,400 feet deep Wednesday morning. The work goes on night and day with slow progress on account of the deep water. The rock formation remains about the same and oil indications are looked for soon. If all goes well more casing will be put in soon.