National Fuel Gas Company

The National Fuel Gas Company was formed in 1902.  It eventually merged with or acquired assets of many companies. The United Natural Gas Company was one of these and it operated independently until 1974.  These subsidiaries laid interconnecting pipelines, tying the many isolated systems into one big network.

In 1916, Iroquois Gas Corporation, a National Fuel subsidiary, proved that significant quantities of natural gas could be stored in tight formations of depleted gas reservoirs. National Fuel at Zoar Field developed the first underground natural gas storage reservoir in the United States , just 40 miles south of Buffalo .  The development of underground natural gas storage in depleted gas fields became a significant economic asset of National Fuel. After World War II, in order to accommodate the skyrocketing demand for this economic fuel, the gas pipelines in the east were connected with the vast gas reserves being discovered in the southwest. Companies like National Fuel with storage capacity could buy southwest supplies to supplement locally produced gas, inject some of this gas into its storage fields and pull it back out during the winter when gas demand peaked. This allowed National Fuel to maximize the efficiency of its pipeline system, increasing the economics of an already economically attractive fuel.

     Other firsts followed: the first gas-fired generator to produce electricity for pipeline protection; in 1973, the first meter-order system to provide computerized scheduling and routing; in 1993, operation of one of the first state-of-the-art computerized one-call centers to increase the efficiency of customer responses by telephone. Today, natural gas is the most popular, environmentally sound and economic fuel choice of homeowners and businesses in the country. National Fuel has been an innovative leader in the development of this industry.

National Fuel Gas Company, incorporated in 1902, is a diversified energy company with its headquarters in Buffalo , New York . The Company’s assets are distributed among six business segments:

       Exploration and Production

       Utility

       Pipeline and Storage

       Timber

       International

       Energy Marketing

                   Today the gas field in the Clermont still produces some gas and is used for storage.  It is evident that the operation has declined considerably since the early years.

  United Natural Gas Company

In 1886, the United Natural Gas Company constructed an 87-mile wrought-iron gas transmission line from the gas producing areas near Clermont and other areas in Mc Kean County to Buffalo , New York . This was recognized as the world’s longest natural gas pipeline and was considered on of the construction marvels of the time.

          In 1899, the world’s first 1,000 horsepower engine-driven compressor was installed by the U.N.G.  These compressors were able to effectively raise and lower gas pressures and control gas flow, allowing gas pipelines to handle increasingly large quantities of gas. By the early 1900’s, natural gas had proved to be an ideal fuel for cooking, heating water, heating homes and lighting.

          The Clermont U. N. G office was the headquarters for the large field in various locations throughout Mc Kean County.

U.N.G. Clermont Office

Art Hovis was the superintendent even though he resided in Smethport.  There were several foremen throughout the early years including Charles Clark, Mark Burmingham, L.F. Bridge and James Schnepp. There were a great many men employed   throughout the field including the following people:  John Anderson, Joe Dibler(the blacksmith), Paul Searfoss, Carl Hagman, Henry Burdick, Clair Flickinger, Sr, George Blauser( Bookkeeper), Emil Johnson, Harry Hafner, Charles Housen, Harold Hagman, John Shelander, Ed Stranberg, Guy Burdick, Fred Summerson, Louie Dickinson, John Peeler, Axel Anderson, Staff Keenan, Bert Herzog, Tim Mc Gee,

Bill Razey, Roy Dunkle, Fred Kane, Paul Williams, Paul Searfoss , Joe Searfoss, and Clair Flickinger, Jr.

          The Clermont office was the headquarters for field operations not only in Clermont but also in surrounding areas. The company provided the foreman with a house in Clermont and had two houses at five mile for some of its employees.  Charlie Housen lived there for many years with his family and for a while the Dunkle family lived there. Even though there was no telephone service in Clermont in the early years the company maintained a line between Five Mile, Wellendorf and the Clermont office where the warehouse was located.  The families would call into the office with a list of groceries. The groceries were purchased and sent out with a horse (named Colonel) and buggy with one of the men.  In later years Jim Spadafore delivered things as he and his crew went by in the motorcar. A pump station was maintained at Wellendorf for pumping gas from the field to Halsey

U.N.G. office and warehouse

In the early 1900’s teams of horses and wagons were used and a barn was located next to the warehouse to house the horses. A blacksmith, Joe Dibler, was employed to shoe the horses and work on metal tasks for the fieldwork. A pipe yard was maintained to store pipe for use in the field.

          In addition to the regular foreman an assistant foreman was employed. For instance Harold Hagman was an assistant under Jim Schnepp until his promotion to foreman at Lamont , Pennsylvania . United Natural Gas Company remained a subsidiary of National Fuel Gas until 1974.