When this well began producing 400 barrels a day, Drake and his
men soon ran out of barrels for storing the oil. In one year, Titusville’s
population surged from300 people to several thousand. Other cities,
called
boomtowns
, sprang into existence nearby. By 1870, 5,000 oil
towers, called
derricks
, popped up throughout the region. Until 1890,
Pennsylvania led all states in oil production in the United States.
Imagine what life would be like today without oil and itsmany
products. And yet, before 1859, there was very little use for this
natural resource. Up to this time, oil wasmainly used as amedicine
and for oilingmachinery. But then, scientists found that oil could be
made into a good, cheap burning fluid for lamps. Later, oil replaced
coal as a cheaper source of heat.
In 1863, Drake left Titusville. He did not get rich fromhis
creative idea because the supply of oil became so large that the
price of oil spiraled downward. He later lost any money hemade in
bad investments and died a poor man in 1880. It is sad to think that
he probably was not aware of the importance of his achievement.
With Drake’s
ingenuity
, Titusville became the birthplace of the
modern oil and refining industries. Today, visitors can tour the
modernmuseumat DrakeWell Museum to see amodel of
Drake’s original oil derrick.
L
ET
’
S
R
EVIEW
1. How did the iron-smelting industry
help railroad companies to grow
and become profitable?
2. In a paragraph or two, describe
the story underlying Samuel Kier’s
development of an industry.
3. In a paragraph or two, describe
howEdwin Drake launched an
industry.
4. What was the impact of Drake’s
industry on Pennsylvania?
5. For approximately howmany years
did Pennsylvania lead the nation
in oil production?
6. Define:
A. boomtown
B. derricks
C. iron smelting
D. refined
74
Understanding Pennsylvania
Another product of iron was the
invention of
wire rope
, or cable, in
1841. This invention was the
ingenuity of John Roebling. Along
with his brother, Roebling emigrated
fromGermany to found the
community of Saxonburg, 20miles
northeast of Pittsburgh.
While working for the state of
Pennsylvania to improve its system
of canals, he devised amethod for
twisting seven strands of wire
together. At first, the cable was used
to haul railroad cars on the Allegheny
Portage Railroad. Soon after, Roebling
used his product to build aqueducts and
suspension bridges. Hismost famous
bridges were constructed at Pittsburgh,
Cincinnati, Niagara Falls, and New York
City
.
J
OHN
R
OEBLING
The boomtown of Titusville at
the height of the oil boom
in Pennsylvania.
Pedestrians in the early 1900s are
shown here walking across the Brooklyn
Bridge, a wire rope bridge designed by
Roebling which is still in use today.
