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All the United States Pennsylvania Titusville Drake Well Museum

Drake Well Museum

Where the oil industry began.

Titusville, Pennsylvania

Added By
Eric Kurelowech
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The reconstructed Drake Oil Well demonstrates the first practical use of salt drilling techniques for the extraction of petroleum through an oil well   Drake Well Museum
The oil well in its original state.   John J. McLaurin/Public Domain
The beginning of the oil industry.   Gelynch52ph/CC BY-SA 3.0
The oil transportation building at Drake Well Museum.   uniquelycat (Cathy) Smith/CC BY 2.0
Antique oil drilling equipment.   uniquelycat (Cathy) Smith/CC BY 2.0
  lstraubbruce / Atlas Obscura User
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In 1859 Edwin L. Drake drilled the oil well that launched the modern petroleum industry. The Drake Well Museum in Titusville, Pennsylvania tells the story of this little well where the great big oil industry began.

People had been harvesting petroleum for centuries, but when they realized it was useable as lantern fuel when refined it became all the more desirable. Drake invested his entire savings ($200) in the Pennsylvania oil industry, then became more hands-on and took out a loan to build an oil well. Rather than just manual digging, he used the technique employed in salt mines to dredge up oil deep in the earth. This technique, for better or for worse, led to what the oil industry is today.

The museum details the history of the modern oil industry with orientation videos, exhibits, operating oil field machinery, and historic buildings. Biking and hiking trails in nearby Oil Creek State Park begin at the museum. Picnic pavilions, fishing, and canoeing on Oil Creek, and a ride on the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad are also available for visitors young and old.

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Museums Industrial History Machines

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ekurelowech

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Molly McBride Jacobson, lstraubbruce

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • lstraubbruce

Published

September 7, 2016

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  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_Well
Drake Well Museum
176-214 Museum Ln
Titusville, Pennsylvania
United States
41.612858, -79.656703
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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

United States

Places 417
Stories 28

Nearby Places

Pithole City

Pleasantville, Pennsylvania

miles away

Nebraska Bridge

Tionesta, Pennsylvania

miles away

PennDOT Road Sign Sculpture Garden

Meadville, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

United States

Places 417
Stories 28

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