The Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism commissioned a Diversity Study project to uncover lesser known and unknown stories within the Oil Region National Heritage Area.

The Study focused on the histories of women, African Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and transient workers throughout the region from the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century from the oil boom through its peak.

“We acknowledge that this report, while substantial, does not tell every story in the region,” said Jenn Burden, ORA Heritage Program Manager. “The ORA wants to continue to look for pieces of the region’s history that are not widely known.”

The report will help researchers, historians, and the general public better understand how various people contributed to the development of the Oil Region, according to Burden.

“The ORA intends the Study to be utilized by us and our partners for future projects and programs to tell new or expanded older stories of the Oil Region,” Burden said.

The ORA hired researcher Hilary Jebitsch to complete the project, which lasted from about August 2023 to August 2024.

Copies of the Study have been distributed to the in-kind support organizations as well as the Barbara Morgan Harvey Center for the Study of Oil Heritage, Crawford County Historical Society, and the Oil Region Library Association.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s November 2024 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.