On this day in 1859, the world’s first commercially successful oil well was completed in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Tiitusville was first settled in 1796 by Jonathan Titus. It was known for it’s lumber industry.
Oil was known to exist there, but there was no practical way to extract it. Its main use at that time had been as a medicine for both animals and humans. In 1851, Samuel Kier had discovered a way to extract kerosene from oil and use it as a lamp oil. At the time, whale oil was used for most lamps but was becoming expensive. At the time, petroleum was collected from ground seeps or shallow salt wells. The Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company was formed to try to find a better way to collect petroleum.
Edwin Drake was hired by the company to investigate suspected oil deposits near Titusville. Drake decided to drill and invented the idea of using iron pipes to prevent the well from collapsing. Drilling was slow and they ran out of money. Drake took out a personal loan to keep the operation going.
On August 27, 1859, Drake had persevered and his drill bit had reached a total depth of 69.5 feet (21 m). At that point the bit hit a crevice. The men packed up for the day. The next morning Drake’s driller, Billy Smith, looked into the hole in preparation for another day’s work. He was surprised and delighted to see crude oil rising up. Drake was summoned and the oil was brought to the surface with a hand pitcher pump. The oil was collected in a bath tub.
A railroad was built to carry the oil and later a pipeline as oil production in the area soared. The first oil millionaire was Jonathan Watson, a resident of Titusville. He owned the land where Drake’s well was drilled. He had been a partner in a lumber business prior to the success of the well. At one time it was said that Titusville had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Drake (with top hat) with the nation’s first oil well near Titusville, Pennsylvania
A decision was made…
The grass…
How to sell your home…
woof!
design…
‘real Unicorn’…
Eat Well!!!
On this day in 1986, Tina Turner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Turner began her career with Ike Turner’s band Kings of Rhythm in 1957, under the name Little Ann. Turner has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN8ks3zNHqE
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