Ferry Landing and Oil Derrick

Ferry Landing and Oil Derrick

Ferry Landing and Oil Derrick West Virginia Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Photo 2 of Ferry Landing and Oil Derrick
1817. 1911. Northwest end of Catherine St., at the Ohio River

The Sistersville Ferry, established in 1817, still operates from the foot of a brick-paved landing at the river end of Catherine Street. An open steel-framed oil derrick dating from 1911, representative of countless derricks once found all around town, stands next to the landing. Named “Little Sister,” the 84-foot standard rig replaced an earlier wooden derrick. It struck oil-rich sand when it reached a depth of 1,481 feet and continued to produce into the 1960s.

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