John Lester Eakin and Sarah E. Cokain

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Husband John Lester Eakin ¹

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           Born: 22 May 1877 - Clinton Twp, Venango Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 1951
         Buried:  - Pleasantview M. E. Cemetery, Irwin Twp, Venango Co, PA 2

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         Father: David Reilly Eakin (1831-1918) 1
         Mother: Elizabeth A. Sutton (1839-1922) 3

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       Marriage: Abt 1905

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Wife Sarah E. Cokain ⁴

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           Born: 1880
     Christened: 
           Died: 1938
         Buried:  - Pleasantview M. E. Cemetery, Irwin Twp, Venango Co, PA 2

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         Father: Sylvester Cokain (1850-1906) 4
         Mother: Alvira L. Monjar (1851/1852-1927)

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Children

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1 M David E. Eakin ⁴

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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2 M J. Lester Eakin, Jr. ⁴

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - John Lester Eakin

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He was born on the old Eakin homestead in Venango County, PA, where he spent his boyhood and youth, receiving his education in the common schools of the neighborhood. During his young manhood he was engaged as a pumper in the local oil fields for two years, and for another two years was employed in various capacities in the oil fields of Virginia and Ohio. Returning to Venango County in 1900 he took an oil lease on the home place and began to operate in company with his brother F. J. Eakin, sinking two producing wells the first year. He bought his brother's interest and continued the work alone, drilling sixteen wells in the twenty-five-acre tract, which proved to be the most productive territory in the Bullion field. The average yield per well was five barrels daily, and it held up well under steady production. Later he bought the rest of the lease on the D. R. Eakin farm, with forty wells. The Bullion field was apparently petered out when he renewed operations there in 1900. The earlier development, conducted some twenty years previously, had been entirely in the third sand, but his new finds were all in the second sand, and the first well he sunk yielded well enough to start the present activities there. When his second well produced ten barrels daily investment was enlivened immediately, and he and others operated in the vicinity with great profit. He bought the Hovis farm there, 157 acres upon which no exploitation had taken place, and drilled one well which enabled him to sell the property for thirty thousand dollars. He held a lease of 135 acres of the Plumer farm near Kennerdell, where he drilled twenty-two wells, all producing. On the Surrena farm, north of Clintonville, which he bought when it had seven producing wells, he drilled sixteen more. When he purchased the Hollister lease, a thirty-acre tract, there were four wells in operation, and he put down seven more, and had eleven producing there. With a partner he was interested in a 100-acre lease at Raymilton, Venango county, where six wells were sunk, all with a valuable third sand production.

Originally he owned only a half interest in the large property in Clinton Township, the old Kennerdell farm, which comprised 960 acres, but after three years he acquired full possession, and during his ownership the oil wells there were increased from fifteen to forty-eight. The production was excellent, principally third sand oil. His time was largely taken up with his numerous oil properties, but he gave considerable attention to the improvement of his home property in other lines also, its valuable resources holding every promise of adequate returns. The arable land was largely grown up with brush when he acquired the place, but he brought one hundred acres under cultivation in general farm products and in a profitable state of fertility. A large tract on this property was leased to a Pittsburgh concern which took out many tons of "bog" iron ore, a valuable soft ore of deep red color especially useful in the manufacture of paint. That deposit covered a large area of the farm, on which there was also much valuable timber. Mr. Eakin had a very desirable home there, conveniently equipped, and heated with gas from his own wells.
Beyond giving his support and encouragement to the Prohibition Party he took no part in public affairs. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Pleasant View, Mrs. Eakin to the Presbyterian Church at Clintonville. [CAB, 549]

1 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 549.

2 Venango County Historical Society, Venango County Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early Church Histories, Vol. 1, Irwin, Mineral, & Victory Townships (Franklin, PA: Venango County Historical Society, 1992), Pg 98.

3 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 539, 549.

4 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 550.