Drake Well Museum
Overview
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
that interprets the birth of the American oil industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
in 1859 by "Colonel" Edwin Drake
Edwin Drake
Edwin Laurentine Drake , also known as Colonel Drake, was an American oil driller, popularly credited with being the first to drill for oil in the United States.-Early life:...
along the banks of Oil Creek in Cherrytree Township, Venango County
Venango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,984. Its county seat is Franklin.-History:Venango County was created on March 12, 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The museum collects and preserves related artifacts. The reconstructed Drake Well
Drake Well
The Drake Well is a deep oil well in Cherrytree Township, Venango County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The well is the centerpiece of the Drake Well Museum located south of Titusville....
demonstrates the first practical use of salt drilling techniques for the extraction of petroleum
Extraction of petroleum
The extraction of petroleum is the process by which usable petroleum is extracted and removed from the earth.-Locating the oil field:Geologists use seismic surveys to search for geological structures that may form oil reservoirs...
through an oil well
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
. A historic site, the museum is located in Cherrytree Township
Cherrytree Township, Pennsylvania
Cherrytree Township is a township in Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,543 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Titusville, Pennsylvania
Titusville, Pennsylvania
Titusville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,146 at the 2000 census. In 1859, oil was successfully drilled in Titusville, resulting in the birth of the modern oil industry.-History:...
on Drake Well Road, situated between Pennsylvania Routes 8
Pennsylvania Route 8
Pennsylvania Route 8 is a major long route in western Pennsylvania. Officially, PA 8 is named the William Flinn Highway. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 376, U.S. Route 22, and U.S. Route 30 in Pittsburgh...
and 27
Pennsylvania Route 27
Pennsylvania Route 27 is a long state highway located in northwest Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at Park Avenue near U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 19 in Meadville. The eastern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 69 three miles south of Sugar Grove.-History:From 1927 to 1928, PA...
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