Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission

    Drake Well Museum

    The Drake Well Museum and Park, in Titusville, Pa., tells not only the evolution of oil drilling, but also the sacrifices made by those diverse people who labored to make their fortunes.  

    PA History 2 Go

    ​Welcome to Drake Well Museum

    Welcome to PA History 2 G0, a series of videos produced by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC), with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. These short videos serve to introduce you, the virtual visitor, to Pennsylvania's state-owned historic sites and museums as we explore the varied stories that make up the commonwealth's rich history.

    C    olonel Edwin Drake and Uncle Billy Smith struck oil in August of 1859, launching the modern petroleum industry. The Drake Well was the first successful commercial oil well. The Drake Well Museum and Park, in Titusville, Pa., tells not only the evolution of oil drilling, but also the sacrifices made by those diverse people who labored to make their fortunes.  


    📽️ The Drake Well Museum tells the story of the diverse people who came to northwestern Pennsylvania to seek their fortune in the oil industry.

     



     📽️ Colonel Edwin Drake and Uncle Billy Smith struck oil in August 1859 and launched the modern petroleum industry.  

     


    📽️  Drake Well Museum shows the evolution of drilling from manual to steam power, then to gas-powered engine drilling.

     



     📽️ The Drake Well Museum tells the story of the diverse people who came to northwestern Pennsylvania to seek their fortune in the oil industry.