Third of three parts

By Ed Shannon, Tribune feature writer

Drilling for oil under the soil of Freeborn County has never been seriously considered. However, about 11 to 12 decades ago, coal and natural gas were two resources which created some real commercial interests by several groups of investors. Even today, there’s proof that what some call swamp gas and a low grade of coal is still beneath the county’s soil in several locations. One of those locations is in Freeborn Township.

The presence of this gas and coal is confirmed by Bob Morrison, a Freeborn County well driller who has been in business since 1948, and John Ellingson, a state geologist who operates out of Rochester.

The 1911 book, &uot;The History of Freeborn County,&uot; states in 1875 a man named A. Short, from La Crosse, Wis., came to Freeborn and leased about 2,000 acres of land for coal prospecting purposes, worked a short time to make his leases hold good, and left. After it became evident that Short would do no more towards developing what coal or other substances might be there, E. B. Clark bought his interest in the leases, and in the fall of 1879, together with E. G. Perkins and W. W. Cargill of La Crosse, commenced prospecting.

In April, 1881 E. B. Clark, together with Perkins and Cargill, organized the Freeborn Consolidated Coal and Mining Company, and in July held its first meeting for election of officers. Small pieces of shale, having much the appearance of coal, were found in different locations, but never in sufficient quantities for mining, and the anticipation of fortunes out of coal were not realized.

To mine this coal would have involved either stripping away the top soil to reach the coal seams for open pit mining, or a shaft and tunnel operation. However, the coal veins or seams weren’t actually very wide and the coal itself was of very low grade.

The Cargill who invested in this coal mining company was a former Freeborn County resident. William W. Cargill lived in Albert Lea from about 1871 to 1875, then moved to La Crosse. He’s better known as the person who started the Cargill Companies, now considered to be one of the world’s largest grain firms.

&uot;There is no doubt of the existence of natural gas in considerable quantities in this county, especially in Freeborn Township,&uot; was the claim made in the 1911 history book. The book’s first chapter on the county’s natural phenomena said in 1887 a well being dug on the farm of L. T. Scott, in Freeborn Township, gave evidence of gas, and a prospecting well which was bored produced gas in such quantities that it was piped into the house and used for illuminating purposes. Gas was also found on the farm of W. Jackman, E. D. Rodgers, F. D. Drake and many others in Freeborn township.

A company, consisting largely of Albert Lea investors, was formed. A well was bored, options (land leases) were secured, and some $15,000 spent. It was found however, that a much larger outlay was necessary, and as the stockholders had expended all they cared to invest, operations were stopped, and the options lapsed.

This firm, the Minnesota Natural Gas, Oil and Fuel Company, with headquarters at Albert Lea, was incorporated Aug. 23, 1887, and started business two days later. The original incorporators, as recorded at the courthouse, were William P. Sergeant, Robert M. Todd, Edward S. Prentice, Darius F. Morgan (president), John P. Hoveland, Charles C. Dwight, William C. McAdam (secretary), James H. Parker and Thorvold V. Knatvold. The original capital stock was $1,500,000, but this was reduced to $150,000, the limit of liability and indebtedness being $5,000. In reality, this firm never really exploited the county’s limited natural gas assets.

While the activities of this company were limited practically to Freeborn Township, gas has also been found elsewhere in the county. For example, on May 29, 1887, a tubular well for Ole C. Olson in Section 30, Riceland Township, encountered a powerful vein of natural gas at a depth of 63 feet. The force was reportedly so great that gravel and sand were thrown fifty feet or more into the air, and the roar of the escaping gas could be heard for a long distance.

The 1911 history book commented, &uot;At the present time there are places in the county where even the most superficial borings (wells) result in a flow of gas, which when ignited, forms a column of flame many feet high.&uot;

What the 1911 book didn’t explain is that the pressure of this gas will decline in a few days.

Ellingson, who is a geologist with the Division of Lands and Minerals of the state’s Department of Natural Resources in Rochester, commented that there are underground natural gas deposits (also called swamp gas) at various places in the region. However, he explains this gas has &uot;no real commercial value.&uot;

Bob Morrison, owner of Morrison Well Drilling Co., located between Manchester and Freeborn, says his firm has encountered this swamp gas while drilling for water. He added that glacial drift is responsible for ancient vegetation being accumulated in small pockets underground where it ferments and creates gas. Then, after a few thousand years, a well being drilled penetrates a pocket and the gas under pressure shoots up for the surface and beyond.

&uot;One of the first wells we drilled was near Conger. We hit gas and the mud and sand shot out of the well about 50 feet into the air,&uot; he said.

Morrison said one specific area where the gas pockets are prevalent is north of Alden.

As the Morrison firm drills the wells, a careful log is kept of the material coming to the surface from the new well being created. Bob explains this shows layers of subsurface clay soil, sand and even wood shavings from old tree stumps and logs from the glacial era. He adds that a low grade of coal in veins of

&uot;a foot or two&uot; had been found at several locations.

At the present time the Morrison firm uses a well drilling technique where counter pressure from the surface equipment and within the well being drilled prevents &uot;blow outs&uot; from the gas pockets. Thus, the drilling goes right on through the gas pockets down to the limestone below the glacial drift to obtain the desired water flow.

Morrison adds that the deepest his firm has gone in the quest for water is a 730-foot well drilled for the city of Alden.

(Contact Ed Shannon at ed.shannon@albertleatribune.com at 379-3434.)