Pioneer Oil Museum of New York

02/15/2026

Dick was best friend to long-time oilman, Joe Bucher. They had a lot in common and loved to talk about Bolivar and the oil industry in the 1950's-60's.
Dick was very complimentary of the museum and how it had grown and developed. Quite often, he was out on the road dropping off merchandise that his company was selling. He was sure to stop by the museum and donate a large number of his red and white pens for our visitors. On them was printed "Oil Man from Olean," which he surely was. He will be missed.

View Richard T. "'Dick'" Sandburg's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

11/19/2025

It's that time of year already, and what could make for a better gift than George Bradley's local history, "Boomtown New York, Bolivar, NY 1825-2025?"
The museum is the official distributor of the book, and due to the author's generosity, the museum will receive all proceeds on the sales of this book.

The cost of the softcover (red) including shipping and handling is $28.00, while the hardcover (green) is $38.00.

We're not set up for Venmo or PayPal, so all purchases must be made via cash or check (payable to Pioneer Oil Museum).
Feel free to email the museum at "[email protected]" for questions or to place an order.

Thanks to everyone for their support and to George for his kindness.

10/28/2025

We recently found this piece of equipment in the museum's collection. After a little work, we got it up-and-running. Any idea what it is? We have an idea, but we thought we'd put it out to everyone to see their thoughts.
Serious responses only, no silly ideas. Thank you.

10/15/2025

The museum would like to thank the Empire State Water Well Drillers' Assocation for selecting us to host their recent fall meeting. The weather was wonderful, and a large crowd of their members showed up for a great weekend. Both museum venues were open, and many people toured the sites. Several of our antique engines were up and running on Friday.
In addition to the tours and the DEREX dual rotary drilling demo, there was an informative presentation about how the oil and gas industry greatly impacted this area years ago.

10/02/2025

Tomorrow, the museum will host the fall meeting of the Empire State Water Well Drillers' Association. Among the events will be a drilling demo of a DEREX Dual Rotary Drill, one of the fastest and most effective drilling techniques.
In the morning both museum venues will be open, and in the afternoon, the Hahn & Schaffner site will be available.
The public is invited to stop by to visit the museum and see the demonstration.

09/17/2025

Several months ago, Wayland Greene, a former Bolivar resident, passed away. He was part of a local oil family as his father owned Greene Pipe & Supply Company in Richburg. After his time in the military, he bought into the family business, and he also worked in the oil fields.

Later in life, Wayland volunteered at the museum for several years. We remember him and thank him for his support.

09/07/2025

Recently, the museum lost another of its former volunteers, Alan Pervorse. He and the rest of his family had volunteered for a number of years at the museum. His parents, both now deceased, began the tradition and later brought Alan and his brother, Rick, along with them.
We thank the Pervorse family for all of their time and dedication over the years.

09/04/2025

September is here, and it's already time to close up for the year. It was a fantastic summer with a wonderful Pioneer Oil Days and highly entertaining Bolivar Bicentennial. The museum thanks all of the visitors and supporters that came through this year.

We're sure to have some beautiful fall weather, so off-season tours may still be arranged by calling the museum (585-610-2038) and leaving a message. You may also e-mail us at "[email protected]"

08/20/2025

Just a reminder that the annual New York State Oil Producers' Association clambake takes place tomorrow, Thursday, August 21 at Good Times of Olean. There will be lots of good food and drink, as well as friends both old and new, to socialize with.
The event takes place from noon to 5:00 with tickets available at the door. We hope to see everyone there.

08/17/2025

Below are samples of the projects that the sixth-grade students completed for Pioneer Oil Days and the Bolivar Bicentennial. Their projects included the use of popsicle sticks to provide a little bit of "3-D depth" to their drawings. These have been on display in the front windows of the museum on Main Street all summer. Again, thanks to everyone involved in this project.

08/11/2025

The Pioneer Oil Museum along with the Bolivar Bicentennial Committee worked with teachers and administrators in both the elementary and middle/high school to celebrate Pioneer Oil Days and the Bolivar Bicentennial.
The goal was to get the students interested in Pioneer Oil Days as well as provide them with historical background for their hometown and our Bolivar community.

The students in grades 4-5 worked on local history (not just oil related) projects at home. Their projects were judged with three winners in each grade level. The sixth graders (projects to be shown in a future post) worked with art teacher Ms. Stopha, a Bolivar native who returned to her roots this past year to teach.
We thank all the teachers, administrators, parents, and especially the students who worked on this project. There were some amazing works of art.

More info may be found by tapping on each picture.

08/08/2025

Just arrived today - fresh, local veggies along with signed hardcover copies of George Bradley's book on the history of Bolivar.
The veggies are locally grown, and the books just arrived this morning.
The veggies are free, but the books (hardcover only) cost $30. Imagine sitting there on a beautiful summer day reading the book with a couple of fresh veggies to munch on.