First Oil Well in Pennsylvania
Meanwhile, another development began quite accidentally in the 1840s.
Samuel Kier
had invested in several businesses, including canal boats. He
began to bottle “rock oil” that oozed from the ground in one of his salt
mines and sold it as amedicine to curemany ills. Along with a chemist, he
discovered that this rock oil could be
refined
into a fuel for lamps. In 1853,
Samuel Kier built the nation’s first oil refinery in Pittsburgh to produce what
we now know as
kerosene
.
Soon thereafter, another development near
Titusville
in
northwestern Pennsylvania was to have an enormous impact
upon the world. Scientists knew about the supply of
petroleum, or oil, in Pennsylvania but no one knew a
practical way to get it out of the ground. During the summer
of 1859, aman by the name of
Edwin Drake
solved that
problem. He launched themodern petroleum industry by
being the first person to drill a successful oil well.
Drake was hired and sent by the Seneca Oil Company
to dig an oil well. His first attempt was not successful
because water filled the hole. After observing how
people drilled salt wells, Drake came up with the idea of
driving an iron pipe into the ground. He then put a drill
down inside the pipe. With the help of an experienced
driller and a steamengine, he drilled a hole 69 feet
into the ground. On Saturday, August 27, 1859,
they quit drilling for the weekend. On Sunday, oil
was discovered floating on the surface of the well.
Samuel Kier (pictured below),
saw a way to profit from
petroleum, whichwas
considered a worthless by-
product. He developed “Rock
Oil” as a patent medicine and
petroleumbutter as an
ointment. He also discovered a
cheap way tomake kerosene,
and even invented a new lamp
to burn his product. He opened
the first oil refinery. Edwin
Drake drilled the first
successful oil well (pictured
left). The first shipment of oil
fromDrake’s well went to
Kier’s refinery.
The Iron Industry Expands, The Oil Industry Emerges
73
