“The Daily Courier
04 Feb 1939, Sat – Page 6OIL IN PENNSYLVANIA
One of Pennsylvania’s chief claims to fame is the fact that the oil industry originated and was developed largely within her borders. Few industries have a more fascinating story.
In the 1850’s the industrialization of the United States caused a rapid’ increase in demand for illuminants and lubricants. Whale oil had been widely used for both, and its price soared to $2.50 a gallon, Substitutes were developed, and vegetable oils partly replaced whale oil as a lubricant. In England a method of distilling kerosene from coal was developed, and a coal-oil industry was rapidly growing in this country.”
