The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-10-11
BIRTH OF THE OIL INDUSTRY.
Difficulties and Delays Which Beset
Colonel Drake, Who Sunk
the First Pipes.

The beginning of the oil industry
in the United States forms the sub
ject of an article in Success. John
McGraw, Jr., the author, who is a
resident of Titusville, Pa, where the
first well was sunk by Col. Edward
L. Drake, tells its history. The fol-
lowing is a condensed versions:
edward l.. Drake was a man of
one idea, but he managed to use it
to such advantage that he added 3d.
900, OOO,O 900 to the industrial wealth
of the United States. He was the
man who drilled the first oil we'll in
Pennsylvania. The Standard Oil COM
pany, in recognition of this service
to mankind in general, and to that
corporation in particular, has recent
ly erected a handsome tomb in
Woodlawn cemetery, in Titusville, as
a final resting place for the remains
of Col. Drake.
"One bright spring morning in the
year 1857, a tall, dark-bearded man,
wearing the uniform of a railway
conductor, appeared at the ofhce of
Eveleth and Bissell, at New Haven,
and purchased 500 shares of stock
in a newly-organized company hav-
ing for it's object the gathering and
sale of oil in western Pennsylvania.
Along the banks of Oil creek, crude
petroleum had been found, and the
New Haven capitalists organized
their company.
"Mr. Drake believed that, if he
could pierce the rock stratum that
lay below the soil of the company's
land. oil would gush forth. He was
firmly convinced hat a subterranean
lake of oil existed beneath the rock
bed.
His conviction was based on
study. Geological formations had
ever proved fascinating to him, and
he had spent much of his spare time,
when a farmers helper, in pursuing
this line of inquiry. He was lacking
in scientific training only.
Convincing the officers of the new
oil company that there was some
thing in his plan of boring for oil.
he went to the district supplied with
$1,000 for experiments.
"He ordered a steam engine. and
after much difficulty, secured the
services of an experienced salt
well driller. The arrival of the en-
CINE was long delayed, and, after
waiting for several weeks. the driller
believing that the colonel was a seer
of visions, refused to have anything
to do with the enterprise. Thus tn,
summer wore away without any new
developments. The company los
faith in Drake and his idea. and re
fused to advance any money.
''Titusville people had begun to be
lieve that Drake was a monomaniao
He seemed to live on his n idea.
early in the winter his none,
gave out, and credit was refused hir
at the village shops. He faced absc
lutte poverty, and barely supporte
his family by doing odd jobs. III
kept a strong heart, however, an
his faith in the final outcome of hi
project remained mistaken.
early in the spring of 1859, h
succeeded in convincing two friend:
r. d. Fletcher and Peter Wilson, c
Titusville, of the %soundness of hi
idea, and they provided him wit
sufficient capital to renew his es
pertinent.
"He secured the services of Wi
liam Smith and his two sons, {
Tarentum, who were practical sal
well drillers. They brought wit
them a complete outfit of tools.
''rhe soil along the banks of 0
and, as fast as the hole was mad
the soil crumbled and the well file
with mud. No progress could
. made. Although work was at
standstill for a number Of day
d brakes ingenuity Dol showed j
self, and, after many costly exper
ments, he finally hit upon a plan
overcome the difficulty. He secure
cast-iron pipes, six inches in diar
eter. and e~ndeavored to drive the
into the ground. The pipes, beir
too light, were soon shattered
blows from a battering-ram whie
ne devised. There was another vex
tious delay, and, finally, a thick
/ piping was secured in lengths of t.
feet. These we're readily driven in
the soft earth, one pipe on top
= another, until they came in conta
with the rock. Drake had solved tt
n problem. Crude petroleum w
worth five dollars a gallon at tn
, time"
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