There were several industrial hazards associated with the early oil industry and nitroglycerine was one of the most prevalent. The nitro which was used to open the subsurface rock was manufactured locally for two reasons. First, the process was a simple one and, second, the finished product was unpredictable and did not travel well. At one point the town council passed a by-law forbidding the transport of nitro through the town. This action forced the manufacturers to locate north of town along a road known as the Blind Line. Several nitro factories were located in this area beginning in 1872. All these factories sooner or later blew up and one exploded leaving no trace of its former presence save a large crater.
