Illinois Search for Petroleum (missing)
CITY:
Westfield
COUNTY:
Clark
DEDICATED BY:
Clark County Historical Society and The Illinois State Historical Society
DEDICATION DATE:
January 1, 1976 at 6:00:00 AM
The marker was located one mile south of Westfield in a rest area park on IL 49. The original went missing, and a new one redeicated May 2024
Discovery of oil in Pennsylvania in 1859 created nationwide interest. Signs of petroleum had been observed in Illinois long before 1865 when one of the first wells was drilled about three miles south and 1/4 mile west of here. This well was unsuccessful but the drillers believed oil was present and formed the Clark County Petroleum and Mining Company in 1866. Later a nearby town was named Oilfield. The company lost interest because poor drilling methods kept most of the oil trapped underground. Improved technology led to a successful well being drilled near here in 1905.