The History Of The Oil Industry - 1265 Words

The history of the Oil Industry Oil makes up over â…“ of humanities primary energy supply. The production of oil, especially the refining of it is has a huge impact of on the modern day world. Oil has been collected and used since Old Testament Bible times. Oil or petroleum is naturally found in various countries including in and around the United States of America. There are many men who can be linked to the beginning of the American oil industry, but out of all of them the most famous, if not the most influential is John Davison Rockefeller. The history of the United States petroleum industry was influenced by John Rockefeller, and helped define his legacy. Oil has been used since perhaps, the beginning of time. Ancient records have†¦show more content†¦Early Colonists observed the Seneca and Cornplanter Indians collecting it by spreading blankets on the rainbow colored surface of oil rich streams, they then wrung the oil out the blankets into earthen bowls. They used it for liniment, medicine and to mix with their war paint for shiny, waterproof make-up. 17th century British and French explorers in western Pennsylvania and New York sent back reports about oil pools that looked like water and burned like brandy. Settlers in western Pennsylvania kept a supply of â€Å"Seneca oil,† that they collected whenever they found it, and used it to stimulate their joints and those of their horses. It was used by farmers in hot weather to repel blowflies, which couldn t tolerate the smell of the greasy substance (Dolson 1). Over time some inquisitive men began searching for ways to make money off this natural occurring petroleum. Oil, because of its many uses became a profitable product. Ebenezer Brewer a lumber mill owner skimmed up five gallons from the seepage on his land bordering Oil Creek, and sent it to his son Francis, a young doctor in northern Vermont. The greasy stuff was exactly the kind of unpleasant medicine Vermonters were crazy about. Dr. Brewer took a flask of the crude oil to his old professor at Dartmouth, Dr. Dixi Crosby, who examined it and agreed it might be a pretty good thing. George Bissell listened to Crosby talk about the interesting contents of the flask, along with James Townsend,