The power of oil. Most people with half a brain understand at least some of the huge impacts that the discovery of oil has had on our world. But I'll bet few of them know that it all began in Pennsylvania! Just south of Titusville and adjacent to the Oil Creek State Park is the site where Edward Drake drilled his famous well in 1859, striking oil at only 69.5 ft below ground. The Drake Well Museum illustrates and celebrates the beginning, and then the progress, of the oil industry.
The museum is so cool, because there is equipment scattered all over the place - an engineer's dream! And so yes, Bill was in his element, to be sure!!!!!! And even though the main building was closed (we were apparently there on the "wrong" day), there was still complete access to the rest (& the best, no doubt!).
A drilling rig.
And it's also in the details...
Bill in his own personal paradise. Ah, technology.
THE first oil well (well, maybe a replica of it anyways).
One of the earlier methods of drilling, called a spring pole. With this, you can "kick down" a well (but only if you have very strong legs and incredible endurance!).
While walking along one of the nearby ditches, I kept seeing these guys flopping into the water to escape. I finally caught one with my camera before it made its get-away. Pretty good-looking, don'tcha think?
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