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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, June 23, 2024, pg. 8 In 1845 when the Stone Mill of Jesse Crowell was being constructed in downtown Albion, workers noticed an oily substance in the ground they were digging. It was oil, and they were able to light their lamps with this substance. That was an early clue about oil deposits in our area. In December, 1958, oil was discovered on the William Rosenau farm south of Albion just east of M-99, between F and H Drives South. Soon oil companies began moving into the area to begin exploration drilling operations. The oil deposits were part of the so-called Albion-Scipio oil field which stretched from east of Jonesville up through Albion Township and beyond. Within a short time, there were over 700 oil wells dotting the landscape, particularly in Albion Township. Oil was so abundant that some wells were free-flowing and had to be restricted to manageable levels. Albion became the de-facto "oil capital" of Southern Michigan in the early 1960s. Millions of barrels of oil were pumped out of the Albion-Scipio [Note: the latter is a township in Hillsdale County] field through the years. A network of oil pipes was laid from well to well, with oil being directed to the Marathon Oil plant in Mosherville. From there it was piped southwards for processing in Samaria, Ohio. In addition to the oil, there were other by-products such as natural gas, propane, and butane which were purchased by energy companies. Many oil workers stayed at the Parker Inn Hotel, the Star-Lite Motel, and the Gem Motel. They also ate at local restaurants, and purchased supplies at Albion's hardware and auto-supply stores. Business definitely was picking up. A look at early 1960s City Directories reveals a special classification in the business directory: "Oil Well Service-Drilling." There were eleven different firms operating here. Another classification was "Oil Properties," with two companies listed. Furthermore, one of the first billboards promoting Albion along I-94 after it was opened pictured oil wells as part of the landscape of our community. There were two spectacular oil well fires that occurred from wells south of Albion. The Rosenau oil well fire occurred in March, 1960, and the Farley oil well fire occurred in February, 1962. In both cases, the legendary Red Adair and his crew (no, not John Wayne) had to be called in to put out the fires. You could see the flames for miles, and Albion received national news headlines from the press. One drilling firm that operated here was the Turtle Drilling Company of Olney, Illinois. This firm drilled the oil wells out along Irwin Avenue by St. John's Catholic School and others. From our Historical Notebook this week we present an August, 1959 nighttime photograph of Turtle workers standing on steps by their oil rig, silhouetted (the camera flash was too strong) against their sign on the left. The local phone number was National-9 2629. The 1961 Albion telephone book lists the local Turtle Drilling Company office just east of town at an address on Newburg Road. How many of our readers remember the "oil boom" of the 1960s?  August, 1959 Nighttime Photograph of Turtle workers
All text copyright, 2026 © all rights reserved Frank Passic | Artwork copyright Maggie LaNoue © 2026
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