A Work in Progress!
*Family Pictures Have Been Moved To New Page
From the Venango Spectator Newspaper:
Cawley, John, a resident of the *Columbia Farm was found dead on the railroad track near the Tarr Farm Bridge last Sunday.He had been struck by the 2 o'clock express train coming down Oil Creek. A bottle of whiskey was found close beside him.He leaves a wife and 7 children in very poor circumstances.
Tarr Farm
Columbia Farm in the 1800's
Cawley, Fannie Mrs. 68 died at home 1144 East 2nd Street, Oil City on Friday. Born in Milltown, County Down, Ireland and came to America at age 15. Married here, John H Cawley who was killed on the old wooden bridge at Columbia Farm many years ago. Children: Edward, Fred, Chase, Mrs. A.K. Helle & Mrs. R.R. Blanding of Oil City, Samuel of Titusville. Burial at Petroleum Center.
Petroleum Center Cemetery
Louis Cawley, of Columbia Farm, Killed in a Gas Engine
Louis Cawley,aged 15 years,employed by the Stevenson Hill Oil Company, composed of Messrs.J.S.Couch,J.B. Crawford and S.H.Simpson, of this city ,was instantly killed in the boiler house of that company a half mile from Petroleum Center about 9:30 o'clock on Wednesday morning.The lad had been employed as a pumper for the past two years, his mother is a widow and lives on the Columbia Farm near Petroleum Center. On Wednesday morning, about 8 o'clock, he left Petroleum Center to commence his duties and nearly three hours later was found by his brother, Fred, dead in the boiler house, his head wedged between the pulley and belt of the gas engine. Fred is 17 years of age and is employed as a pumper on the Cummings lease, about a quarter of a mile from where Louis was employed. He noticed his brother's engine was not going and supposing that he was having trouble in getting it started,went to his assistance. He had rendered such assistance before upon several occasions and felt no uneasiness until he entered the boilerhouse and found his brother's body lying on top of the under section of the belt, his head wedged between the belt and pulley in such a manner that the skull had stopped the engine and had been crushed in a terrible manner. The brother hurried to Wilbert's Store at Petroleum Center and secured assistance and the Storekeeper,A.D. Foskett, notified the Coroner. It is supposed that the unfortunate lad had started the engine and was oiling it when he was caught in the belt and dragged to his death. He is survived by his mother, four brothers, one of whom at present is employed in the lumber yards near Tidioute, and two sisters, one of whom is a resident of Oil City.The other is home with her mother. The father of the deceased was killed by being struck by a W.N.Y.& P. train several years ago while walking home from Rouseville. The dead boy was noted for his industry and his devotion to his widowed mother. Squire Hammond of Petroleum Center was instructed to hold the inquest.
Oil City Derrick,December 11,1900
Services in memory of Lewis Cowley (sic) were held at the Petroleum Center Union Church at 2 PM Friday.He was born at Petroleum Center on June 7,1885 and was therefore just 15 years,5 months and 28 days of age.He is survived by his mother,three sisters (? see above writeup where there were two sisters) and four brothers. Lillian of Indiana, Edward of Irvineton, Sam, Fred, Frances(?),Chase and Mary,at home.
Cawley, Edward aged 55; Pennsylvania Railroad Engineer of Corry,former resident of Oil City,was found dead in his bed at the company bunkhouse in Brocton,NY on Wednesday April 29th, from a heart attack. Born in Petroleum Center on November 19,1875, son of John and Fannie Cawley. Married August 12,1915, Juliet E. Smith.(*note this obit said "Julia") She survives along with one son Harold W. of Warren. Also leaves brothers and sisters.
"Edward Cawley,55,well known P.R.R. Engineer was found dead in his bed in the company bunkhouse at Brocton, NY, Wednesday.Coroner W.C. Crandall of Westfield NY, after an examination issued a certificate of death by heart failure. The body was discovered by J.H. Mc Millan, a callboy.
Mr Cawley was born at Petroleum Center, November 19, 1875, the son of John and Fanny Cawley pioneer resident, of that place and was well known in this city. On August 12(?), 1915, he married Julia Smith, who survives him. Together with one son, Harold W. of Warren, three brothers, C.A. and Fred of Oil City and Samuel of Ripley, NY and two sisters, Mrs.Arthur Helle of Oil City, and Mrs. Mary Blanding of Ashtabula, Ohio also survive.
Prayer services to his memory will be conducted from the family home, 326 South Center Street, Corry at 1 PM Friday , with interment following in the Petroleum Center Cemetery".
Mrs. A.K. Helle (Lillian Cawley)
From the Oil City Derrick Newspaper June 19,1939:
Mrs. Lillian E. Helle,wife of Athur K. Helle,vice president of the Oil City Trust Company, died at the Oil City Hospital at 8.40 o'clock Saturday evening after an illness of several months duration. Her condition was grave for some time and her death, while not unexpected,came as a shock to her many friends.She was a patient at the hospital for 11 weeks.Mrs.Helle was born at the Columbia Farm, Venango Cty, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Cawley.She lived for some years at Petroleum Center and spent her girlhood years with relatives in New Hampshire. Mrs. Helle was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and was active in the affairs of the Ladies Aid Societyof that church.She was past Worthy Matron of the Eastern Star, a member of Belles Lettres Club and played prominent roles in the plays presented for club members.She was also a member of the Tuesday Musicale. She is survived by her husband and one son,John Vernon Helle.She also leaves three brothers,Samuel Cawley,Ripley,NY; Chase Cawley,Bradford,NY; Fred Cawley,Oil City. Interment will be at the Grove Hill Cemetery.
Louise Laverne Cauley Aged 11 months,son of Mr.and Mrs.Chase A. Cauley (sic),died Sunday at 9PM at the home of the grandparents,Mr.and Mrs. Samuel Cauley on Seneca Street. The child had been ill for several days from Cholera Infantum.
Printed Monday August 26,1912 by OCD.
Funeral services in memory of Harold W. Cawley (died 2nd April,1946 at home) were held from the home of Harry A. Himes of Tiona at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon with Rev. Lloyd V. Mohnkern of Clarendon officiating. Interment was made in Sheffied Cemetery with the following serving as bearers:Charles, Harry,Jr. and Leroy Himes, Fabian Litchenberger, Francis Steele and Richard Metzgar. Relatives and friends came from Bradford, Oil City, Clarendon, Weldbank, Warren, Clarion, Jamestown, Buffalo and Mayville to attend.Harold W. Cawley was born December 20,1905 at Warren,.The son of the late John Edward and Minnie Cawley.He was one of Tiona's most respected citizens and his passing is a profound sorrow to all who knew him. For the past ten years, he had engaged in oil field service and repair business.He is survived by his wife,Adelaide ,one son,Harold W. Jr, two half brothers and a half sister.
Former PRR Worker Dies Here Tuesday
Fred L. Cawley,an employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad here for 50 years until his retirement several years ago,died in the Bradford Hospital following a two weeks illness. He worked in the local PRR enginehouse.
He was born September 1,1881,in Petroleum Center,the son of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Cawley of Petroleum Center.Surviving are two brothers,Sam Cawley of Westfield N.Y. and Charles (this should be Chase) Cawley of Bradford.The body is at the Tracy Funeral Home in Titusville.Plans for the funeral will be announced.
Harold Sr. Buried in Sheffield,PA Cemetery in the Himes Family Plot
Harold W. Cawley,Jr.,56,103 West Wayne Street Warren and Breton Estates,Apt 4, Palmer, Mass,died unexpectedly Friday morning,Dec.2,1983 at his residence in Palmer.
He was born in Tiona on September 13,1927, the son of Adelaide Himes Currie of Warren and the late Harold W. Cawley,Sr. had lived in White Plains,NY and was a Palmer resident for three months. Formerly Plant Manager of General Cable,North Adams,Mass., he was Production Engineer at Rathbone Corp.,Division of Handy and Harmon for the past three months. He had been employed in Warren for 21 years at the GTE Sylvania and for two years in the Research Center of Union Carbide,Tarrytown,NY. He was a member of the Kalbfus Rod and Gun Club,Lakewood Rod & Gun Club and the American Legion. He served in the U.S.Navy during World War 2.
Surviving,in addition to his mother Adelaide Himes Cawley Currie ,are his wife, Virginia Dahle Cawley whom he married on July 9,1949 in Tiona,a daughter,Mrs. Paul J.DePrator (Lynn),Warren and a son Hal E.Cawley of New York City., one grandson,Derek Paul DePrator of Warren. Friends may call at the Peterson-Blick Funeral Home from 2:30 to 4:30 and 7 to 9 PM Monday. A funeral and committal service will be held there ar 1 PM Tuesday by the Rev. Howard Markel of Clarendon and Tiona United Methodist Churches.Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery Mausoleum.
Mausoleum at Oakland Cemetery, Warren, PA.
*"The original farm was known as the William Story Farm which was renamed the Columbia Farm after a group of Pittsburghers purchased it and formed a company bearing the name Columbia Oil Company. Columbia Farm has maintained its position as a place name through the years and can be found on USGS Topographic Maps. It became a town, now a ghost, and saw the scope of operations change after the Columbia Oil Company no longer worked it. Other companies such as Brundred Oil Company repressured the wells and even went on to make casing head gasoline sold under a brand name. The original Columbia town and various other installations were replaced or removed over time so the buildings and ruins now found mostly date to operations of Brundred & Corse and the Brundred Oil Co. which were 1900�s events (1907-1952). Quaker State bought out Brundred�s holdings in the Valley in 1952. Then Quaker State sold its remaining shallow wells to Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) in 1988. PGE is plugging the old wells on Columbia Farm.
In 1972 Columbia Farm became a part of Oil Creek State Park which has its headquarters in Petroleum Centre."
Written by S. Pees
Thanks to Ed Clark of the Pithole Community Center for all his help and pictures!
