Welcome to Pithole (Ep3)
EPISODE 3: WELCOME TO PITHOLE. What happens when the wickedest man in the world arrives in the wickedest place in the world? It’s February of 1866, and the oil boom of Northwestern Pennsylvania is in high gear. Ben Hogan, welcome to Pithole, Pennsylvania.
The discovery of oil and the birth of the oil industry created several Pennsylvania boom towns, some of which later went bust and disappeared. The most notorious of what is now a Pennsylvania oil ghost town was Pithole, populated by many a scoundrel and "fallen woman." In this episode, we meet some of them, including the most infamous of all – Ben Hogan and French Kate. This is the third episode in the three-part series on the Discovery of Oil and the History of the Oil Regions of Pennsylvania. In this episode, we will again have appearances by Ida Tarbell and her father, Frank Tarbell, whom we met in the first two episodes.
Timestamps for major events/discussions:
[02:27] – Discovery of oil near Pithole Creek
[07:57] – Founding of the town of Pithole
[10:07] – William Darrah – the historian of Pithole
[12:41] – Vice in Pithole – saloons and brothels
[16:50] – Meet French Kate
[19:34] – Meet Ben Hogan
[27:31] – Ben Hogan arrives in Pithole
[34:22] – Ben Hogan and French Kate dating
[36:44] – Ben Hogan and French Kate in court
[39:02] – Beginning of the end for Pithole
[46:43] – Places to visit in the Oil Regions
Books to read:
· William C. Darrah, Pithole: The Vanished City. (Originally publication year 1972, fourth edition published in 2016. Copies available through the Drake Well Museum.)
· George Francis Trainer, The Life and Adventures of Ben Hogan: The Wickedest Man in the World. (Written under supervision by Ben Hogan, and first published in1878, now available as a Kindle e-book.)
Calls to action:
· Follow us on Instagram to learn when new episodes drop or to be a part of our chat Instagram community: pennsylmaniapod
· Join our email list to receive news on the podcast by emailing us at producer@pennsylmania.com
· Provide feedback on this episode, or give us ideas for new episodes, by emailing us at producer@pennsylmania.com
· See the Pithole Visitors' Center and site of this oil boom town that disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared. Here's a link to more information.
Link to website: www.pennsylmania.com