Rondeau Park area update

 

 

RONDEAU PARK VISITOR CENTRE

 

On Friday, May 23 we drove down to the Visitor Centre and took a few photographs.  The weather was still a bit cool so we spent the rest of the day just taking life easy.  

Rondeau Park Visitor Centre

Deer display at Visitor Centre

Spiny Soft Shelled Turtle display.  Shell covered with White sand.

Bald Eagle display

Red Headed Woodpecker & Red Wing Blackbird (female)

Tulip Tree display

Bird feeding / viewing area at Visitor Centre

 

 

OIL MUSEUM OF CANADA

 

On Saturday, May 24 we drove to Oil Springs to visit the Oil Museum of Canada.  While many people know that this oil field was the first in Ontario (1858), few people realize this was also the site of North America's first commercial oil well and the first "gusher" well in 1861.  When the "oil boom" ultimately tapered off, Lambton County oil men took their expertise afar to develop oil fields in foreign territories such as Venezuela, Java, Persia and Russia.  The Museum includes various artifacts brought from such countries when the men returned home to Lambton County.

 

One hundred and fifty years after the first discovery of oil in Lambton County, many of those wells are still pumping crude oil which goes to Imperial Oil in Sarnia for refining.  Many of the wells still use the same "jerker rod" and "jerker cable" technology to power the pumps.  The major difference is that the "jerker rod power houses" now contain electric motors rather than steam engines.

 

Oil Museum building

An active, "jerker rod" operated oil well on the Museum property

Site of first oil well at Oil Springs

"Spring Pole" drill rig system used for drilling some of the early wells.



Jerker Rods emerging from the Power Station

Interior of an operating, Jerker Rod Power Station

Newer style, electrically powered oil pump

Bridge over Black Creek

Very simple, "jerker cable" operated pump near Black Creek

A present day oil producer at Oil Springs