Pithole, the Vanished City: A Story of the Early Days of the Petroleum Industry

I live in nearby Butler county and have visited the ruins of Pithole a couple times. It gives you an errie feeling walking down the clearings that were once streets. The writing in this book can be dry, with its numerous figures. However, it's a quick read and contains points of interest pre flood/ fire which would ultimatley destroy the community. What most people assume is that the town was at its peak when it was leveled. The truth is, as this book reveals, the area was well on its way down by the time of the disastor. On a humorous note, the town was such a boom that a hotel was slapped up within a couple days to accomodate for the rapid growth. Within a few months the wood, whihc had note been properly prepared for construction due to the haste at which the hotel was built, dried and shank leaving a hotel with gaps in the walls and floors. I imagine the appearance would be rather venetian.