PARKER, Armstrong County — The story of Ben Hogan is too wild, wicked and wonderful to fit in one chapter, according to author Marilyn McCall.

Growing up in Parker, McCall, 55, heard countless stories about Ben Hogan's outlandish adventures during Pennsylvania's oil boom and his unlikely evolution from hooligan to evangelist.

"Everyone in Parker knows about him and wanted more information," said McCall.

When gathering information for her first book on Parker's oil history, "From Boom to Bust," McCall found so much information on Hogan that she devoted an entire chapter to him.

"But there was just so much to tell about him," said McCall, who just completed her second book, "Ben Hogan's Wild Ride."

Born in Germany, Hogan came to America in 1852 at age 11 and took up with street gangs in New York.

"He was a bad little boy from the very beginning," said McCall. "He actually killed a man who went after his father's money and after that, his life spiraled downward."

Hogan wandered through the eastern and midwestern United States before entering Pithole, Venango County, in 1865.

Oil was discovered there in January 1865 and by September, more than 15,000 people settled there.

By 1866, the oil supply began to dwindle and the population rapidly declined.

Today, Pithole is a ghost town and tourist attraction overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

"It was the perfect place for him because everyone's interest was in oil, not law and order," McCall said. "Pithole was said to be the wickedest place on Earth and (Hogan) pronounced himself the wickedest man in the world."

Hogan was many things, McCall said, including a thief, gambler, prizefighter and brothel keeper.

He was also something of an entrepreneur, she said.

"When he came to Parker's Landing, he opened his Floating Palace with a gambling hall and girls on board," said McCall, referring to Hogan's remodeled river steamer. "That's what he was most famous for. He was the folklore hero of the day."

He turned his life around at age 37 when he chanced upon a revival meeting, McCall said.

"From then on, he lived an upright life," said McCall.

Readers might find the transformation hard to believe at first.

"You think that it's just another one of the crazy things he's doing in life," McCall said. "But by the time you get done reading, you know that he really was sincere."

Hogan worked as a missionary and preacher until his death in 1916.

"That's why a lot of people like his story," McCall said. "He did have a good ending to his life."

McCall has no formal education in writing, except for a single long-distance education course taken years ago.

Although she earned her associate and bachelor's degrees in different fields, writing was always in the back of her mind.

"It was a dream of mine for years, but I never tried to do it until last year," said McCall, whose first book was published in 2008.

"Ben Hogan's Wild Ride" is set up like an interview, alternating Hogan's voice with factual information.

"I used his 1887 interviews with a reporter as a backdrop and I wove historical events in with his wild adventures," McCall said.

Conducting research and writing the book took about two years.Small community libraries were the best source of information, since many of them offered a wealth of primary documents such as newspaper articles and old books written about Hogan."I saw articles clear out in Oklahoma, reporting on what Ben Hogan was doing here in Parker's Landing," McCall said.Since many articles contained conflicting information, McCall relied on cross-referencing to determine what was factual."If three-quarters of an article matched another article in another paper, I would believe that was a true account," she said. "A lot of the time, you'd run into the same theme in different newspapers."Sometimes, McCall added, she had to rely on common sense."If you've ever read anything on Ben Hogan, some of it is so crazy that you have to wonder if it did happen," she said. "If something sounded too nuts, I couldn't use it."Luanne Eisler, genealogist at the Butler Library, keeps a file on Ben Hogan because of the local interest in his story. She helped guide McCall's research at the library."There were many colorful characters at that time and he was certainly the most flamboyant," she said. "He seemed to have a pretty good sense of humor."Her information spans Hogan's life, from his illegal exploits to his spiritual transformation."It's really a life that went full circle," Eisler said.In addition to library research, the people of Parker and the surrounding areas were an invaluable source, McCall said."People are still handing me information," she said.McCall is now working on "From Boom To Bust II," another volume of Parker's history, and is seeking contributions.To help, contact McCall at 724-399-0076 or paboombooks@yahoo.com.Books are available in Parker at Bob's Place restaurant, Jackson's Barbering and from the author, in Venango County at the Drake Well Museum and the Oil Region Alliance and at the Butler County Historical Society.