PENCE SPRINGS W.Va. (Hinton News) – Gas is something you don’t think about in relation to Summers County. But a Hinton News article dated October 30, 1950, and titled “Gas Struck at Pence Springs,” was about that subject matter. It begins by telling that Godfrey L Cabot Co. officials were on their way to a location in the Pence Springs vicinity.
The late John Kesler and fellow Summers County Historian gave me this article because it talked about Pence Springs. We knew what each other’s passions were; he always thought of me when he ran across something from Pence Springs. And I made him copies of anything from Talcott or Lowell I would find.
This gas was struck on farm land that remained in the Pence family, having originally belonged to A.P. Pence. This company was said to have options on several thousand acres of land in the Pence Springs/Clayton area. From what I have been told by “the locals” over the years, the gas was found on farm land more towards the Clayton side.
This company struck gas at 2030ft and at the time said, “The well will be a producer.” After first drilling the well, it caught fire, burning for roughly 10 minutes before it was extinguished. Drilling had been occurring on this property for 15 months before it was found on this Sunday afternoon.
Over the years, I have looked and looked for other articles about this. But I have not been able to find any further information about what transpired after this discovery. If you know anything about this strike or any other gas-related historic news in Summers County, please email me at greenbrierantiques@gmail.com.
