Historedia
AmericasEvent

Edwin Drake drills the first US oil well at Titusville

When
1859–1861
Where
Oil Creek valley; Drake's drilling site; Drake Well site
Episodes
4

Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial oil well in the United States at Titusville, Pennsylvania, in August 1859. Hired by Seneca Oil, Drake faced financial difficulties before striking oil at 69.5 feet. This success sparked the Pennsylvania oil rush, transforming the region into a major petroleum hub despite prior accidental discoveries.

Episodes

  1. 1859-1861 · Oil Creek valleyOil Rush Impact

    The success of the Drake Well sparked the first oil boom, causing rapid expansion in Titusville and market volatility.

  2. April to August 1859 · Drake's drilling siteFinancial Struggle

    Drake faced financial difficulties, taking a $500 loan in 1859 after his colleagues gave up on finding oil.

  3. August 27, 1859 · Oil Creek valleyDrake Drills First Commercial Well

    Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial oil well in the US at Titusville, Pennsylvania, on August 27, 1859, reaching 69.5 feet.

  4. October 1859 · Drake Well siteWell Fire in 1859

    The original structures at the Drake Well caught fire in October 1859 and were rebuilt by Drake a month later.

Background and detail

Drilling. Drake began drilling near Oil Creek in 1858 but faced little success. By April 1859, his Connecticut colleagues gave up, leaving Drake to fund the operation with a $500 loan after spending $2,500. On August 27, 1859, his drill reached 69.5 feet, striking oil just before funds ran out. This is considered the first large-scale commercial extraction.

Impact. The Drake Well sparked the first oil boom in the United States. Titusville and Oil Creek towns expanded rapidly as wells and refineries proliferated. Domestic crude output swelled from 2,000 barrels in 1859 to 4,000,000 in 1869. The rush created violent market swings, with prices dropping from $10 to 10 cents per barrel by 1861.

People involved

Sources

  1. Pennsylvania oil rush Wikipedia, revision of 2026-04-21
  2. Edwin Drake Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-27
  3. Drake Well Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-04

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.