Admiral Nelson Keith

The experience of Admiral Nelson Keith and his family in the international oil fields began with frustration but they proved that sometimes persistence and a bit of luck could bring about great success.  

Keith was actively involved in the development the oil fields of Lambton County. As oil production declined, Keith, along with his son Charlie and his brothers Seth and Lafe, joined Elgin Scott in an expedition to explore the Galician oil fields.

The family crew landed in west Galicia, in Roplanka, in an area that had been under development since 1860 using primitive methods such as hand-dug wells and collection from seepages. The Canadians gathered up their purchased equipment and began the difficult climb up a thickly wooded mountain where they began to drill two wells. Unfortunately both wells were dry and having run out of money, the family found themselves stranded on top of the mountain for several weeks.

It was around this time that William McGarvey came to Galicia in search of oil and Canadian specialists were in great demand. The Keith men joined up with McGarvey and began drilling near Wietrezno. Here, the Keiths would experience a similar defeat when these wells yielded no oil. The events which followed are recounted by Admiral Keith's brother-in-law, Willie Keith:

"MacGarvey then approached my father and the rest and said, 'Boys, I am broke and we cannot carry on; there is no more money.' With one voice they all said, 'Give it another trial with one more well. We shall not ask for pay unless we come on a paying production.' Thereupon, they all went out to the field and MacGarvey, taking his Churchill hat, threw it into the air and said, 'Boys, since you are willing to help me drill a well on the spot where my hat lands, good luck to you.'"

And so they dug a well where McGarvey's hat had landed and found a gusher which produced about 1000 barrels of oil per day. Over the next years, they went on to drill numerous productive wells in the surrounding areas. The expertise of the Lambton County oil men proved to be invaluable.

In 1888, the remainder of Admiral Keith's family, including his son Wilfred Durham Keith, immigrated to Galicia and the following year, Keith was given the task of opening new oil fields in Weglowka which would prove to be the best producer in West Galicia.  Keith remained in Galicia where he died in 1898.