8) The Drake Oil Well, Titusville, PA
The birth of the modern oil industry took place in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The Drake Well was the first in the world to be drilled for the sole purpose of finding oil. Although this was long before the automotive demand for gasoline, oil was used for illumination and lubrication of machinery. The Drake Well launched the modern oil industry in 1859 in a wooded area on the western edge of Pennsylvania. The well produced 20 barrels a day by using a hand pump. The Drake Well was not only the first commercial oil well, it was the largest producer of its time. Unfortunately, the original structure burned down in an explosion after just two months of operations. A replica was built in 1945 in its place and now stands as the centerpiece of the Drake Well Museum Park.
