old drilling rig

[David Greenwalt]

Very interesting day. A guy I work with told me his brother bought a house over in West Virginia and up on the hill was some type of equipment with a bunch of gears and asked me if I was interested in it. Hoping to find my first engine in the wild, I picked up a friend of mine today and we went and looked at it. The last thing I expected to find was an old drilling rig sitting at a well head. Pretty sad shape. Looked to be horse drawn, the huge spoked wheels were half buried with the spokes on the bottom rusted through. No wood left on it, just the metal frame work and gears, control rods, spools, etc.. Looked to be part of a trace left on the front of it buried in the ground. No engine, I suspect it was ran with a steam engine. Over grown with a briar patch and trees all around. I wonder how many of the first wells in that area were dug with this critter before it was finally finished and left abandoned. I got some pics, as soon as I sort them out and get them in order I will post them. Just from my limited knowledge I would place the age of the rig sometime around the turn of the century. I told him a road would have to be bulldozed off the hill, and a whole mess of trees would have to come down to get it out, and I suggested just leaving it there and clean up around it and show it to people as a very livid piece of the area's history. I think some things are just better off left in their final resting place. Sure was a fun day, I don't imagine there were a whole lot of rigs brought into the area during that time due to the size and the cost. David.

[Doug Fye]

Hi David,
Sounds like a really neat find.Up in Oil Creek State Park I found one in simular shape.It also was in really bad condition.It was used to drill the well then left in place to pump it.Out in the Pittsburg area I stumbled on to an old Stationary rig that was still pumping oil up untill a couple of years ago when the ground was sold to build a stupid housing development on it.More of our wonderful old history down the dumper.Some of the old stuff is still ouy there,You just have to look harder to find it.Most of the old wells are being plugged by the State and the old equipment taken away and being disposed of.Were losing more and more of our old interesting wild History everyday.

Doug