Cherry Grove was kind of a big deal in 1882.

It was then that the little hamlet at the top of the hill off Route 6 became famous for an oil boom. The Cherry Grove Boom, in fact, “was actually larger and more important than the discovery at Pithole,” according to a quote from Philip Ross in an article in the Valley Voice.

The Mystery Well 646 turned Cherry Grove into a relative little metropolis from 1882 to 1885. Owned by the Jamestown Oil Company, the well produced “300 to 500 barrels of oil per day,” eventually rising to 2,000 barrels a day, according to an article in the Times Observer.

“The Cherry Grove oil field eventually produced 2,345,000 barrels of petroleum before overproduction and water seepage brought a conclusion to the big boom by the end of the year.”

And, according to the article, by the end of 1882, 646 was down from 2,000 to 5/8 of a barrel per day.

So why recognize the 135th anniversary of the boom?

“If you don’t have a past…” said Ed Atwood, Treasurer for the Cherry Grove Old Home and Community Day. Cherry Grove, said Atwood, “never got its credit because we’re not Titusville. But we are a part of the oil heritage region… A big part of the heritage.”

Warren County is more recognized for its contribution to lumber heritage, and in fact the lumber and the oil industries here overlapped. But much of the current oil field jargon, said Atwood, came out of the Cherry Grove boom.

Saturday’s event will include a series of free events open to the public to educate people on Cherry Grove’s contribution to the oil industry and celebrate its history. From 9 a.m. to noon there will be opportunities to see the replica of the 646 Mystery Well. From noon to 3 p.m. will be horse-drawn trolley rides. A hiking tour to the site of the actual 646 Mystery Well will be conducted from noon to four.

Atwood advised that anyone interested in the hike should wear boots and be prepared for a moderate hike. Those interested will be bused to the trail into the site, and the hike itself is approximately 3/4 of a mile over a creek and into the woods of Cherry Grove.

At 1 p.m. sharp, a presentation on oil field history will be given. And the Jammers — a group of local musicians playing acoustic improv — will be playing from 3 to 5 p.m. All events are held at or start from the Cherry Grove Fire Hall, 6045 Cherry Grove Road in Clarendon.

For more information on the event or on the Mystery Well 646, visit mysterywell.com or facebook.com/cherrygroveoldhome.