By Jerry Schill

Parades, pageants, food, games & fun! Those are just a few of the words that come to mind when thinking about festivals in small towns & cities all over America. Some of the events become so "well-oiled", (pun intended), over the years that they seem to operate on cruise control. Not so with the Oil 150 celebrations in the region, due mainly to the magnitude and the significance of the anniversary. 

Natives of this area know what happened in Titusville that August day of 1859, and most Americans, with a little prodding, can recollect learning about Colonel Drake, Titusville and "the well" back in their grade school days. 

There are, however, bits and pieces of our local history that even escape the native population, yet are extremely interesting to history buffs, if not a very important part of our culture. 

One example is the relationship of the Heisman name with Titusville in general and oil in particular. John William Heisman attended schools in Titusville, graduating from Titusville High School in 1887. He learned to play football in Titusville and went on to become one of the greatest collegiate football coaches of all time. Each December, America waits to hear who will receive the Heisman Memorial Trophy, one of the most coveted awards in sports.