Pennsylvanian oil rush
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvanian oil rush was a "boom" in petroleum
production which occurred in northwestern Pennsylvania
from 1859 to about 1870. It was the first oil boom in the United States
.
The oil rush began in Titusville, Pennsylvania
, when Colonel Edwin L. Drake struck "rock oil" there. Numerous productive, highly profitable oil wells were drilled in the area, oil refineries were built there, Titusville expanded enormously, and an oil exchange was founded.
After 1871, the oil industry was well established, and the "rush" to drill wells and control production was over. Pennsylvania oil production peaked
in 1891, but Pennsylvania has some oil industry still today.
Drake hired a salt well driller, William A. Smith, in the summer of 1859. They had many difficulties, but on August 27, they finally drilled a well that could be commercially successful.
Soon other wells were drilled, by Seneca and other companies. Titusville grew from 250 residents to 10,000 almost overnight and in 1866 it incorporated as a city. Several ironworks were built to supply drilling tools. Eight oil refineries were built between 1862 and 1868.
Other oil-related businesses quickly exploded on the scene.
The Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad was built to transport oil; it opened in 1862, linking Titusville with the town of Corry
, 35 km north on the Erie Railroad
. The oil was carried from the wells to the railroad in horse
-drawn wagons.
In 1865 pipelines were laid from the oil fields directly to the rail line, ending horse-drawn transport. That same year, the Union City
& Titusville Railroad (UC&T) was completed.
In 1866, the railroad line was extended 20 km south to Petroleum Center
and Oil City, Pennsylvania
. In 1871 the UC&T became part of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
.
Also in 1871, the first oil exchange in the United States
was established in Titusville. The exchange later moved away for a few years, but returned in 1881 in a new, brick building. It was dissolved in 1897.
In the fall, President
Ulysses S. Grant
visited Titusville to view this important region.
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
production which occurred in northwestern 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...
from 1859 to about 1870. It was the first oil boom in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The oil rush began in 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:...
, when Colonel Edwin L. Drake struck "rock oil" there. Numerous productive, highly profitable oil wells were drilled in the area, oil refineries were built there, Titusville expanded enormously, and an oil exchange was founded.
After 1871, the oil industry was well established, and the "rush" to drill wells and control production was over. Pennsylvania oil production peaked
Peak oil
Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. This concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, projected reserves and the combined production rate of a field...
in 1891, but Pennsylvania has some oil industry still today.
History
The Titusville area had some natural petroleum seeps. In the late 1850s, the Seneca Oil Company (formerly the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company) sent Drake to drill wells on a piece of leased land just south of Titusville near what is now Oil Creek State Park.Drake hired a salt well driller, William A. Smith, in the summer of 1859. They had many difficulties, but on August 27, they finally drilled a well that could be commercially successful.
Soon other wells were drilled, by Seneca and other companies. Titusville grew from 250 residents to 10,000 almost overnight and in 1866 it incorporated as a city. Several ironworks were built to supply drilling tools. Eight oil refineries were built between 1862 and 1868.
Other oil-related businesses quickly exploded on the scene.
The Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad was built to transport oil; it opened in 1862, linking Titusville with the town of Corry
Corry, Pennsylvania
Corry is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. With a population of 6,834 at the 2000 United States Census, it is the second largest city in Erie County. Corry is a part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, 35 km north on the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
. The oil was carried from the wells to the railroad in horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
-drawn wagons.
In 1865 pipelines were laid from the oil fields directly to the rail line, ending horse-drawn transport. That same year, the Union City
Union City, Pennsylvania
Union City is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Erie. In the twentieth century, there were three large chair factories, planing and grist mills, a powdered milk plant, and several furniture factories. In 1900, 3,104 people lived here, and in 1910, 3,684 people lived here. The...
& Titusville Railroad (UC&T) was completed.
In 1866, the railroad line was extended 20 km south to Petroleum Center
Petroleum Center, Pennsylvania
Petroleum Center is a populated place in Cornplanter Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States. In the 19th century the name was also spelled "Petroleum Centre". The town today is almost deserted.-Geography:...
and Oil City, Pennsylvania
Oil City, Pennsylvania
Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil wells were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil, Quaker...
. In 1871 the UC&T became part of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
The Philadelphia and Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania between 1861 and 1907. It was subsequently merged into the Pennsylvania Railroad .-History:...
.
Also in 1871, the first oil exchange in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was established in Titusville. The exchange later moved away for a few years, but returned in 1881 in a new, brick building. It was dissolved in 1897.
In the fall, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
visited Titusville to view this important region.
See also
- Texas oil boomTexas Oil BoomThe Texas Oil Boom, sometimes called the Gusher Age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in U.S. state of Texas during the early 20th century that began with the discovery of a large petroleum reserve near Beaumont, Texas...
. - Ohio Oil RushOhio Oil RushThe Ohio oil rush was a 19th century petroleum boom in the southeast Ohio, United States. The boom started in 1860 in Macksburg, Ohio. Blacksmith William Jeffrey made a similar hit in Mecca Township, northeast of Warren. Crude oil production climbed year after year, especially after major oil...
. - History of the petroleum industry in the United States