Soon after the civil war, one of americas earliest oil booms arrived at a small hill west of tidioute, pennsylvania. This work covers the history of one of the worlds biggest oil businesses between 1950 and 1975. A burgeoning oil refining industry developed in east london and consolidated into imperial oil. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Toms first article of what we hope will be several about the spur provides an overview of the entire 128 year history of the line. In the early days of automobile travel, service stations were unfamiliar and often poorly lit at night. In petrolia, brian black offers a geographical and social history of a regi.
To complete our exploration of the oil heritage district, we head to petrolia, the cradle that rocked the oil industry, and park at the farmers market, which is a big draw during the summer. Aalto department of geology, humboldt state university, arcata ca, 95521. Recollections of oil drilling at oil springs ontario with notes of the shaw gusher, the drake well in pennsylvania, the first flowing well, and a description of the. According many oil and natural industry experts, if time allows reading only one book about petroleum history, it should be the prize. Bibliography of history of petroleum, 20102011, rasoul sorkhabi, william brice, and jonathan craig.
West of the redwoods historical views from the mattole. View the new experience and read this book on fulcrum. The petrolia heritage committee is a small, dedicated group of citizens, that advises council on matters relating to the history and heritage of the town. There were also many contributors in stories and photographs. Beloved petrolia mansion used in scary movie shoot cbc. Just as black offers petrolia as the prototypical landscape of industrial sacrifice, his book will surely serve as the model for a new genre of holistic historical studies of people, place, technology, and culture. In petrolia, brian black offers a geographical and social history of a region that was not only the site of americas first oil boom but was also the worlds largest oil producer between 1859 and 1873. Oil 150 is administered by the oil region alliance policies site map. Petrolia, canada and the institute for the history of. Victoria hall, petrolia is a national historic site, a provincially designated heritage building and a cultural center for lambton county.
Although this is a fairly long, very specific work last updated over 25 years ago, its surprisingly engaging and wellwritten. History of the oil and gas industry library of congress. The lambton county archives is the archival centre for genealogical and local history research in the county of lambton. The purpose of this website is to share with other petroliana collectors and enthusiasts the items and information available regarding our hobby. Against the background of changes in attitudes toward consumption and the growing d. Black brings to this book a global perspective and a wideranging technical. It is part of lambton county and is surrounded by enniskillen township. Many intriguing stories and books have been written about canadian oil barons and our soughtafter foreign drillersthose brave, adventurous individuals who took with them to the far corners of the globe their hardearned industry expertise and. Lochridge, a farmer and rancher with land three miles southeast of the site of present petrolia, hired samuel mccord to dig a water well, but he was unable to find water and struck oil at a depth of 263. The history of petrolia reminds me that fact is almost always more fascinating than fiction. The influence of petrolia s innovations, businesses and people has been felt the world over. Beloved petrolia mansion used in scary movie shoot. Peter coates technology and culture petrolia is an intimate portrayal of the history of a major event that has affected not.
The landscape of americas first oil boom creating the. Petroliana, or antiques related to gas stations and the oil business, is a collecting area focused on advertising, with key subcategories being gas pumps, gaspump globes, oil cans, road maps, signs, and major names like mobil, texaco, standard oil, phillips 66, shell, sinclair, and esso. The petrolia oilfield, near petrolia in clay county, was named for an oil producing town in pennsylvania. Many people have dropped by to look at and or ask for pics from my 1908 petrolia book. As you can see it is packed full of petrolia ontario history and pictures.
In the 1860s and 1870s several refineries were built in petrolia, but in 1898 standard oil bought a controlling interest in imperial oil and moved imperials refinery to sarnia. The oil lay in small, fractured underground pools and ultimately, attempts to extract it dried up. Rich with history, and home to one of the finest theatres in the country. Our collection at the archives consists of archival documents that tell the stories of the people and places of lambton county. Petrolia, ontario is a beautiful town in the heart of lambton county. Tom is a local railway enthusiast, model railroader and a member of the petrolia150 team, sharing his local railway history knowledge.
Though the field never produced large quantities of oil, its shallow depth lessened drilling expenses and made production profitable. Several original contracts that date from 1700s, the early middle and late 1800s, and early 1900s are photocopies. The landscape of americas first oil boom by brian c. But in 186566 a series of discoveries culminating in the drilling of the king well established petrolia as the major oil producing centre in canada and its population soared from about 300 to some 2,300. Petrolia oilfield the handbook of texas online texas. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. A wide selection of oil related books, a cd and a dvd are available for.
Oil springs book petrolia canadas victorian oil town. In northern california, an 1865 well near oil seeps in humboldt county also could be considered the first california oil well. Book on north american petroleum technology history available. His articles appear in onearth magazine, usa today, junior scholastic, and christian science monitor, as well as scholarly journals. Visitors to the petrolia discovery experience a fascinating, oneofakind glimpse into the early days of the worlds oil boom. Sarnias role in the petrochemical industry stems from its proximity to the oil fields of petrolia and oil springs, which have been drilled commercially since the 1860s. Giddens prize in oil history from oil heritage region, inc. In fact, some oil dwellers considered petrolia as the center of the lower oil region. From the first, handdug wells of the 1850s, to the great refineries and machine shops which abounded at the turn of the century, petrolia s oil heritage runs old and deep as the wells themselves. This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how.
This output, however, often lasted only a few weeks, falling to less than a barrel a day. Some of the men on the left, that went out into the far reaches of the world armed with the technology that was formed in the oil springs and petrolia ontario oil fields. Knowles grew up in an oil family and was a successful oilwoman in her own right. This was the first salt dome oil discovery, and thousands of barrels of oil. Currently, the fields around oil springs and petrolia continue to produce small quantities of oil. Being in he the oil and gas industry for the last 40 years, this book is a great reference for any engineer or person with an inquisitive mind. It looks like a corespondent came here from detroit for the detroit news.
The original community in the area was called oil city. Fernandez served as controller of rhino offshore llc an offshore oil and gas service company based in houston, texas, from january 2010 to april 2015. Im assuming few are likely to read this book unless theyre specifically researching the history oil and gas industry. The mansion is located on petrolia line between oil street and. View all hotels near petrolia discovery on tripadvisor. Postcivil war oil discoveries create allegheny river boom towns. Petrolia, tx the handbook of texas online texas state. Petroleum history institute oil industry history, v. Oil production went through several boom periods in petrolia. Against the background of the growing demand for petroleum throughout and immediately following the civil war, black describes oil creek valleys descent into environmental hell.
The petrolia spur is the first book hes written, and walter hopes it will tell the rest of petrolia s story after the oil boom. Youtube, youtube channel, video marketing, youtuber, igtv, erika vieira, video, instagram electratone. In petrolia, brian black offers a geographical and social history of a region that. Thereafter, petrolia declined as a refining centre and most of its oil was shipped by pipeline to sarnia. Likewise, the history of central power oilpumping technology will be traced from the prototype systems used at volcano and petrolia ca. Oil springs and petrolia, ontario conventional oil.
The oil history collection consists of correspondence, and financial material such as over 75 agreements, leases, deeds, rightsofway, indentures, stock shares, and certificates of incorporation. The birthplace of the canadian oil industry by robert o. This well, drilled by old union matolle company after the civil war, produced oil near petrolia and attracted early oil companies to the petrolia oilfield. The town of petrolia holds a place of distinction in the history of the global oil industry. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Petrolia is a town in southwestern ontario, canada. Against the background of the growing demand for petroleum throughout and immediately following the civil war. Formerly quiet pennsylvania hillsides of hemlock woods vanished in the fall of 1866 when oil fever came to triumph hill. With over 80 years of global operational and management experience in all aspects of the energy industry, petrolia explores energy development potential in oil, gas, solar and wind.
This is the date that the great gusher erupted in the oil well being drilled at spindletop, near beaumont, by a mining engineer, capt. Petrolia is an unincorporated community in humboldt county, california, 10 miles 16 km southeast of cape mendocino, at an elevation of 121 feet 37 m above sea level, within zip code 95558, and area code 707. In petrolia, brian black offers a geographical and social history of a region that was not only the site of americas first oil boom but was also the worlds largest oil producer between. Gift shop oil museum of canada lambton county museums. Little is currently published either on paper or the internet covering early petrol pumps, globes, motoring enamel advertising signs and associated petroleum items. This blog highlights the countys history by exploring the most interesting and unusual records in our collection. At first, eclipsed by oil springs, the community developed slowly. In january 1989 on the event of its centenary, victoria hall was tragically gutted by fire leaving only its massive brick walls intact. The blog host insists on the laura byline, but this is nicoles work. Oil springs field and the petrolia oilfield, the background, geology and production history. The years of 1875 to 1877 saw the greatest oil production in petrolia and with this prosperity brought in numerous peoples of all classes.
How to survive alone in the wilderness for 1 week eastern woodlands duration. Assessing bps comparative performance, the book focuses on how bp responded politically, economically and culturally to the rise of new competitors. After the oil boom in this area was dried up, the oil industry was just starting up in other parts of the world. Black, professor of history and environmental studies at penn state altoona, is the author or editor of several books, including the awardwinning petrolia. The peter mckenziebrown library petroleum history society. Also check out the blog for research tips and information about heritage events in our community. Petrolia was truly becoming an oil boomtown with its rapid growth and good oil production. We have primary and secondary sources to help you with your genealogy and local history research. The drive system for moving the jerker lines back and forth was driven from here and a real and operating example can be seen at petrolia discovery the oil museum of petrolia. Republished by the mattole valley historical society in 2004, the chapters in the book discuss the local indigenous tribes, pioneer times, local families and the oil booms.