Michael Heisman, Cooper and Oilman

Michael Heisman, an Alsatian, came to Titusville from Cleveland and had a home on Bank Street in the German section of Titusville and also lived for awhile on Spring Street.  The cooperage was located at the corner of East Spring and Kerr Streets.  Michael Heisman was more than a part owner of a barrel works.  He also had interests in the American Oil Works (it later became the Penn Drake refinery, now gone) which was located near the cooperage, and he had working oil leases in the Church Run field north of Titusville (according to David Weber, oil researcher).

With Michael Heisman's interest in the American Oil Works and his partner Stephens' investment in other nearby refineries, all within sight of the cooperage, it seems probable that the shop provided barrels for those refineries.  They produced barrels for other merchandise also.  Michael Heisman sold out of the barrel business in 1890 to return to Cleveland and the cooperage was then run by the Stephens family until 1911 when it closed.  No trace remains.