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Hydrocarbons and Environmentalism in the Great Black Swamp: Gibsonburg, Ohio

Stricker, Kirsten E.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1563447727871952

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, History.
Oil was discovered in northwest Ohio in 1885. Men came from Pennsylvania and the oil boom was born. Towns appeared and disappeared overnight, and they were often known for a proliferation of saloons, houses of ill repute, and gambling. Derricks littered these towns and posed safety hazards. However, some oil towns were different. In 1890 Gibsonburg, in Sandusky County, Ohio, passed laws prohibiting the drilling of oil wells within 300 feet of a residence. Their efforts revealed environmentalist tendencies decades before it became a national concern. The reforming spirit found in Gibsonburg’s residents continued and those early efforts set a precedent for further activism. In 1983 a local lime plant closed its doors and was slated for sale to the Gibsonburg Lime Company who would incinerate polychlorinated biphenyls, a known human carcinogen, as fuel. Many Gibsonburg residents quickly formed a group to oppose the plan. Their timely action resulted in the cancellation of the sale. In both instances, residents resisted the allure of money and jobs to keep themselves and their environment safe. This underscores the lengthy history of environmental activism in Gibsonburg, particularly related to petroleum and the petrochemical industries.
Michael Brooks, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Andrew Hershberger, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
148 p.
American History; History
petroleum; natural gas; hydrocarbons; environmentalism; sandusky county; gibsonburg; american history; oil history; polychlorinated biphenyls; lime plant; environmental activism; industrial history; local history; boom town; oil town;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Stricker, K. E. (2019). Hydrocarbons and Environmentalism in the Great Black Swamp: Gibsonburg, Ohio [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1563447727871952

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Stricker, Kirsten. Hydrocarbons and Environmentalism in the Great Black Swamp: Gibsonburg, Ohio. 2019. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1563447727871952.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Stricker, Kirsten. "Hydrocarbons and Environmentalism in the Great Black Swamp: Gibsonburg, Ohio." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1563447727871952

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1563447727871952
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© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.