Joseph Sibley (1850 - 1926)
Joseph Sibley
Joseph Sible's life was very busy. His father's death, while Joseph was a young man, prevented him from going to college, but he educated himself by reading.
He became a clerk in a dry goods store of which his brother-in-law, Charles Miller, was a co-owner. Later, in 1871 while working for Galena Oil Works, Sibley almost died in the Great Chicago Fire. Eventually, he became president of his own oil company, the Signal Oil Works.
His career in politics also gave him a certain amount of fame. At 29, he was elected mayor of Franklin. Later he was elected four times to the United States Congress where he championed farmers and became known as the voice of Standard Oil.
Along with his River Ridge farm/estate, Sibley launched a project which had long lasting effects. In 1882, he and Miller established the Prospect Hill Stock Farm. By concentrating on the proper food and care of animals, they were able to improve the quality of milk, cheese, and butter. In fact, their cows won many contests, medals, and prizes in state and world fairs, proving their methods to be effective. The stock farm does not exist now, but it is thought to be located where Miller-Sibley Park stands in Franklin today.
Sources:
The Derrick's Handbook of Petroleum; A Complete Chronological and Statistical Review of Petroleum Development from 1859 to 1898. Derrick Publishing Co., Oil City, 1898
Jordon, John W., L.L.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley. Pennsylvania. Volume I, Lewis Historical Publishing Co. New York, NY, 1913
Reprinted Courtesy of the Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry