135:. Wildcat Hollow was one of the many productive fields in the early oil era. An old story claims that a speculator who was drilling in this narrow valley shot a wildcat, had it stuffed, and set it atop his derrick, and that the mounted cat gave its name to the hollow. The same story claims that because the area was largely untested and somewhat away from Oil Creek Flats, the term "wildcatter" was coined to refer to a person who risked drilling for oil in any unproven area.
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104:. Oil wells in unproven territory were called "wild cat" wells from mid-1870, and those who drilled them were called "wild-catters" by 1876. For instance, the
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American slang for any risky business venture by 1838, long before the rise of the petroleum industry. An example was the
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According to tradition, the origin of the term in the petroleum industry comes from
Wildcat Hollow, now in
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of the 1850s. Directors of wildcat banks in the
Midwest were known as "wild-catters" before
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was the signal for a general exodus of wildcatters from all parts of the oil country ..."
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This article is about oil exploration. For the 1937 American film, see
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It's
Raining Cats and Dogs ... and Other Beastly Expressions
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The term was used in the early oil industry in western
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History of the petroleum industry in the United States
111:noted in 1880: "The discovery of the fluid in
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244:(New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1989) 152.
93:; Joiner is responsible for finding the
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29:Term for petroleum industry occupation
271:Wildcatters and oil barons of America
150:'s discovery of oil in Pennsylvania.
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65:drilled in areas not known to be
69:. Notable wildcatters include
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257:, December 28, 1857, p.2 c.5.
253:"Wild-cats in Iowa," Chicago
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201:"Monthly Petroleum Report",
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229:Titusville (Penn.) Herald
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203:Titusville Morning Herald
61:, which are exploration
185:"Wildcatter Definition"
160:Hydrocarbon exploration
231:, March 1, 1880, p. 3.
91:Columbus Marion Joiner
75:Thomas Baker Slick Sr.
216:The Forest Republican
54:is an individual who
286:Petroleum production
227:"From Parker City,"
125:Oil Creek State Park
95:East Texas Oil Field
39:For other uses, see
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41:wildcat cartridge
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18:Wildcatting
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171:References
129:Titusville
106:Titusville
67:oil fields
52:wildcatter
138:However,
119:Etymology
97:in 1930.
83:Joe Trees
63:oil wells
154:See also
255:Tribune
140:wildcat
109:Herald
89:, and
56:drills
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