The First Oil Well

Abstract

Abstract The birth of the oil industry on Aug. 27, 1859, was spectacular and its later history has been colorful and romantic. During the early part of the last century the industrial revolution was in full swing. The demand for oil for lubricating the machinery and illuminating the factories had been supplied from tallow and whale oil. In the 1850's an industry based on the production of illuminating oil from coal was growing rapidly, and a refining technology utilizing thermal cracking and distillation was well developed. It was soon found that petroleum was superior to coal as a raw material, but it was a scientific curiosity, occurring in many places, but in small quantities. At the same time along the tributaries of the Ohio River a considerable industry had grown up around the manufacture of salt. The brine was obtained from sands at depths up to 1,000 ft. A drilling technology had developed, and the methods of cable tool drilling were mostly invented between 1800 and 1830 along the Kanawha, Muskingum, Conemaugh and Allegheny rivers. Petroleum was produced along with the brine at nearly all the salt manufacturing plants. At most of these it was used to illuminate the plants and grease the machinery. It was inevitable that this new source of oil should come to the attention of the coal oil refiners, and that attempts should be made to produce oil by drilling. The combination of a large and growing demand for oil, a well-developed refining industry and a highly developed drilling technology provided an explosive mixture. The spark finally occurred at Titusville, Pa., on the site of a famous oil seep that had been exploited by the Moundbuilders and later by the Seneca Indians and the early settlers. Two New York promoters, George H. Bissell and Jonathan G. Eveleth, formed a company which purchased the farm on which the seeps were located. They were unable to sell stock until they published a glowing report on the commercial value of the oil written by Benjamin Silliman, Jr., a famous chemist and professor at Yale U. Financial support was finally obtained from James M. Townsend, a New Haven banker, and his associates. Edwin L. Drake went to Titusville in Dec., 1857, to start operations for the company. The first year he opened up the old springs and attempted to exploit them. He decided to drill for oil and employed a salt well driller, W. A. Smith, who came to Titusville in the spring of 1859. Oil was encountered on Aug. 27 at the unexpectedly shallow depth of 69 ft. (Fig. 1). The well produced about 10 B/D. Land along the creek valleys was quickly leased and drillers, teamsters, coopers, speculators and others flocked to the area. The excitement exceeded that of the California gold rush 10 years before.