1 10 2 https://openvalley.org/files/original/46a25e244f4e70cf5eee7260068bf763.jpg 7b999308ecf8cdc5cfaedcaa3f5d93c7 https://openvalley.org/files/original/fad6f409c548a0489914261447860344.jpg 94379434f57fa57fe29fb152c68e3cfd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sinclair Refinery, Wellsville NY Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Courtesy of Ken Cooper Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 872 KB jpeg, 302 KB Description An account of the resource Town along the Genesee River has experienced the rise and fall of fortunes associated with extractive industries: initially lumber and tanning (using bark from hemlock trees), then the petroleum industry. In 1879 oil was discovered near Wellsville--whose naming antedated the petroleum strike--and in 1901 a refinery was constructed to process barrels from the Allegany field. Sinclair Oil &amp; Refining Corporation, formed in 1916, purchased the Wellsville refinery in 1927 and for years was the major producer of refined products in this area. The company had a national profile via its shrewd marketing, notably a dinosaur mascot introduced at the Chicago World's Fair of 1933. A catastrophic fire in 1938 severely damaged the Wellsville plant; another in 1958 caused its closing. In 1969 Sinclair was purchased by the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO). <br /><br />The afterlife of Wellsville's 100-acre refinery site has been problematic. Production of lubricating oils and grease, fuel oil, naptha, gasoline, lighter fluid, and paraffin led to groundwater contamination; a 10-acre waste dump sited alongside the Genesee River (with 230,000 cubic yards of hazardous chemicals) leached into surface water. In 1983 it was declared a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency, leading to mitigation efforts at the waste dump, "rechannelization" of the Genesee, and relocating Wellsville's drinking water intake upstream from the Sinclair refinery. Effects upon fish, waterfowl, and mammals have been significant and likely continue. Given the somewhat bucolic appearance of this postcard photo, the refinery's history serves as a cautionary tale.<br /><br />Source consulted: US Fish and Wildlife Service, <a href="https://www.fws.gov/northeast/nyfo/ec/files/SinclairNRD_PAS_6-16-2015.pdf">"Preassessment Screen and Determination for the Sinclair Refinery Superfund Site in Allegany County, New York”</a> (May 2015). <div style="left: 821.915px; top: 176.317px; font-size: 25.6667px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.17835);"></div> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1927-1938 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tichenor Bros. Incorporated Atlantic Richfield Company Environmental Protection Agency Genesee River oil Pollution Post Card Sinclair Oil Company Watershed Wellsville, NY https://openvalley.org/files/original/eb53af22a8de10c704cda370694ef13f.jpg 4dbeeefa639589a2f3958909a14dd445 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Digital photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sinclair Gas Sign, Wellsville, NY Description An account of the resource A rusted sign advertising Sinclair Gasoline found just outside of Wellsville, NY--likely dates back to the 1950s. Sinclair Oil's refinery in the town was a major employer but also was beset by huge fires in 1938 and 1958, the latter of which shut down the facility. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Feeley, Kevin P. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-11 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Feeley, Kevin P. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 1.9 MB Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Gas oil Rust Sinclair Oil Company Underground Atlas Wellsville, NY