Pennsylvania and the Early Petroleum Industry

Although human beings have had a working relationship with petroleum and natural gas for thousands of years, the modern industry, as we know it, had its origins just a few hours’ drive to the north – near Titusville, Pennsylvania. For it was there on the banks of Oil Creek that Mr. Edwin Drake and his driller William (Uncle Billy) Smith drilled the first oil well in North America in August of 1859 – just over 165 years ago. This talk will tell the story of how and why Mr. Drake happened to be in Titusville and inadvertently began the world’s modern oil and natural gas industry.