Permission given by The Dawes Arboretum to place cache
Cache is located on free-access, private property
Cache is only available during Arboretum open hours
Ohio Cities Gas was searching for natural gas when a discovery in West Virginia (near now-named Dawes, WV) changed the company’s future. An oil strike at Cabin Creek shifted the company’s focus from mainly natural gas toward petroleum production. That discovery helped push Ohio Cities Gas into a new chapter and set the stage for its transformation into The Pure Oil Company.
Oil discoveries can dramatically change the direction of an energy company. A successful strike meant new wells, new transportation needs, new refining possibilities, and new markets. For Ohio Cities Gas, Cabin Creek opened the door to becoming more than a gas supplier; it became part of the fast-growing oil business.
The discovery also helped transform Beman Dawes from a utilities entrepreneur into an oilman. The success that followed would have consequences far beyond the petroleum industry, eventually helping fund the land, plantings, and endowment that supports The Dawes Arboretum.
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About the Dutch Fork Wetlands: Dutch Fork Wetlands is a free access, 70-acre natural area at The Dawes Arboretum. It’s a restored wetland and grassland ecosystem with six pools, meadow habitat, boardwalks, flat gravel and grass trails, an observation deck, and a shelter house. It’s a great spot for a quiet walk, birding, wildlife viewing, and seeing wetland restoration in action