James Story "Corntassel Jim" McCray and Martha G. Crooks

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Husband James Story "Corntassel Jim" McCray ^{1 2}

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           Born: 16 Nov 1824 - Venango Co, PA 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 14 Oct 1889 3
         Buried:  - Franklin Cemetery, Franklin, Venango Co, PA

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         Father: William McCray, Jr. (1797/1799-1861) 4 5
         Mother: Elizabeth Story (      -1841) 1 2

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       Marriage: Abt 1852

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Wife Martha G. Crooks ^{6 7}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 4 Mar 1889 3 6
         Buried:  - Franklin Cemetery, Franklin, Venango Co, PA

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         Father: Aaron R. Crooks (1798-1883) 6 8
         Mother: Esther E. Hellyer (1804-1879) 6

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Children

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1 F Cornetha McCray ⁷

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           Born: 19 Dec 1855 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 1871 7
         Buried:  - Franklin, Venango Co, PA

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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2 M William Preston McCray ^{1 3}

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           Born: 2 Nov 1857 - Cornplanter Twp, Venango Co, PA 1 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Kate D. Espy (      -      ) 3 9
           Marr: 20 Mar 1879 1 3

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3 M Willis Elmer McCray ³

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           Born: 30 Jun 1861 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - James Story "Corntassel Jim" McCray

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He was born about a mile below Titusville, PA, on what was known as "Watson's Flats," and came to this section when a mere boy, living with his parents on the Lamb farm near Plumer until they settled on the McCray place at what later became well known as Petroleum Center, nearly half surrounded by the creek along whose margin, directly at the base of the hill upon which the farm is situated, were several of the largest flowing wells of the Pennsylvania oil fields, which, together with the infinite number of good pumping wells that perforated the ground in the immediate vicinity in that territory, made it one of the most remunerative in the history of oil development. Mr. McCray had such education as the local public schools offered, attending an old log school in the home township during the winter months, and during the summer seasons assisting with the work on the home place, which comprised two hundred and fifty acres. He remained at home until twenty-two years old, and when he left to start on his own account had but two dollars in his pocket. During the next two years he was employed at various sawmills in the adjacent lumber region, along the Allegheny River, above Oil City, and by hard work and enterprising economy was able, at the age of twenty-five years, to buy a team and take up the land which now constitutes the McCray farm, paying two thousand dollars for the property. By constant industry at farming and lumbering he continued to augment his possessions and lay the foundation for a comfortable home.
Of all the remarkable records made after the discovery of petroleum in this region, there is none more phenomenal than that of the development on the McCray farm and its immediate vicinity, at Wild Cat, Petroleum Center and the Egbert farm. Though for eight years the sources of supply were sapped to an unheard-of extent, yet in October, 1870, six months after oil was struck on the hill, this farm produced over twenty-seven hundred barrels a day, yielding to its owners the enormous income of more than six thousand dollars a day, though but little more than half the production was his.
When the news of Drake's success spread like wildfire up and down the country, drawing crowds of curious and excited visitors, Mr. McCray, associated with several others, formed a company and took a lease of two acres on the Buchanan farm at Rouseville. This lease proved a remunerative bargain, but before the first well was down Mr. McCray took advantage of an opportunity to sell his interest, and he soon afterward secured a lease on the Blood farm, adjoining his own. It was here that he made his first great success in oil operations. He had obtained a most valuable lease from his old neighbor, who still held the farm, and there in company with several partners put down the famous "Maple Shade Well," struck Aug. 5, 1863, which flowed eight hundred barrels a day for ten months. After realizing twenty-five thousand dollars in this venture Mr. McCray sold his interest in the lease for fifty thousand dollars. In 1863 Dr. Egbert acquired possession of the strip of bottom land along Oil Creek, at the base of "McCray Hill," where the first success of any importance in the immediate vicinity had been met in the spring of 1861, the Hollister well having been opened there, on a triangular tract at the foot of McCray Hill known as the Hyde and Egbert farm. There the renowned "Coquette Well," which began to flow twelve hundred barrels a day and yielded eight hundred daily for a considerable period, was struck almost on the McCray line, and Dr. Egbert accordingly took a lease of all that terrace called the McCray Flats, which adjoined his own property, giving three eighths of the oil as royalty. He began developments without delay, and the first three wells sunk averaged about three hundred barrels of oil a day for a long time, of course netting a handsome revenue to Mr. McCray and piling up wealth for him. In all there were eight wells sunk on his land at the foot of the hill. In 1865, while the production was at its height, Mr. McCray refused a clear half million in cash for his farm.
Early in the spring of 1870 Keffer & Watson, operating on the Dalzell tract, on top of the hill, struck a well which began to flow four hundred barrels a day. It was near the McCray line, hence leases on the McCray farm on the top of the hill were immediately in anxious demand, and would-be operators were clamoring to obtain them at any cost. Mr. McCray fixed a uniform price of a thousand dollars per acre, bonus, and half the oil, and many were ready to venture production even on these terms. He also began operating himself on a large scale, and the field proved so productive that there is probably not another piece of land equal in size anywhere in the Pennsylvania oil regions on which are to be seen as great a number of derricks. Operations paid so well, and the yield increased so rapidly, that six months after Keffer & Watson's strike, in October, 1870, the McCray farm piped twenty-seven hundred and thirty barrels of oil daily. About seventeen hundred barrels of this production were Mr. McCray's own, and for a time he had probably the largest revenue ever received by a single firm from the production of petroleum. Yet with all these exciting experiences he retained his thrifty, honest and industrious character, the greatest ambition which he and his wife had, in the acquisition of their large fortune, being to give their children a better chance in life than they themselves had enjoyed. From the commencement of operations in 1871 to July, 1873, the production on the McCray farm reached, if it did not exceed, five hundred thousand barrels, one half of which was turned over to Mr. McCray. He was a man of active temperament, and developed marked business ability in the handling of his land as oil property, and though he worked hard enjoyed fine health throughout his long career, being blessed with a vigorous constitution.
In 1872 Mr. McCray purchased the elegant private residence of Mr. Brough in Franklin, Venango County, and there resided from that time until his death. Honored and respected for his personal integrity, his civic enterprise, and his substantial worth as a neighbor and friend, the oil region lost one of its best citizens in his death. [CAB, 469]

1 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1095.

2 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 468.

3 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 470.

4 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1094.

5 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 443, 468.

6 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1089.

7 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 469.

8 J. H. Newton, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Columbus, OH: J. A. Caldwell Publishers, 1879), Pg 605.

9 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1083, 1095.