Abram Brinker, a Civil War veteran, returns home to find his fiancŽe has married another man. Readjusting to civilian life is difficult enough, but living in the same town is just too much. After trying his hand at farming again, he is lured to the possibility of employment and adventure in a brand new area in the Oil Creek Valley, just a few miles from where Col. Drake first discovered oil in Titusville, PA. Pithole City has sprung to life in a desolate field where a new strike has been made. People are flocking to the area from all over with hopes of striking it rich. Abe has no such illusions; he is merely seeking a change of scenery and a chance to make an honest living.