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This collection is made up of 120 incoming business letters addressed to Benjamin Franklin of Burlington, New Jersey, in 1865 and 1866, concerning the oil industry in Kentucky and Tennessee. The letters relate to the discovery of new wells and deposits, the purchase of oil fields, the cost and delivery of equipment, and other subjects.

This collection is made up of 120 incoming business letters addressed to Benjamin Franklin of Burlington, New Jersey, in 1865 and 1866, concerning the oil industry in Kentucky and Tennessee. The letters relate to the discovery of new wells and deposits, the purchase of oil fields, the cost and delivery of equipment, and other subjects.

Though Franklin lived in New Jersey, he occasionally traveled south to look after his business affairs. He primarily received letters from business partners in Louisville and Glasgow, Kentucky, who provided him with detailed descriptions of local oil lands, including physical characteristics, anticipated yields, and the interests of other prospectors. Writers frequently encouraged Franklin to consider purchasing various properties. Other correspondence pertains to the progress of Franklin's wells and to the delivery of machinery, such as steam engines. Most letters directly or indirectly concern Franklin's finances, including content about his stock holdings and costs associated with his oil interests. Partial copies of his draft responses accompany a portion of his incoming letters.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, and documents related to the operations of the French Creek and Cherry Run Oil Company. The company purchased land and dug oil wells in Venango County, Pennsylvania, in 1865.

This collection is made up of correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, and documents related to the operations of the French Creek and Cherry Run Oil Company. The company purchased land and dug oil wells in Venango County, Pennsylvania, in 1865.

The earliest documents concern the company's initial expenses, a scouting mission, and founding documents. These items include receipts for land purchases near Frenchcreek, Pennsylvania, and a report regarding the costs of an examination of the company's property. On or around April 7, 1865, its founders adopted articles of association and afterward they addressed a summary of their proposed operation to Isaac Slenker, the auditor general of Pennsylvania. During the summer of 1865, John J. Glisson wrote 9 letters to the company's leaders from Franklin, Pennsylvania, and Big Creek, Pennsylvania, in which he reported on the company's local interests, equipment, wells, and finances. Brief meeting minutes are interspersed throughout the collection. Three printed and partially documents are a letter patent for the French Creek and Cherry Run Oil Company and 2 indentures for land in Frenchcreek, Pennsylvania. Also included is a map of the company's property along French Creek.