Oil Creek Collection

General view of Funkville, Pennsylvania, 1864
PENNSYLVANIA: OIL CREEK. General view of Funkville, Pennsylvania, 1864

Oil wells at Oil Creek, Pennsylvania, USA, 1880 (engraving)
864415 Oil wells at Oil Creek, Pennsylvania, USA, 1880 (engraving); (add.info.: Oil wells at Oil Creek, 150 miles up the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)

Oil-Springs at Tarr Farm, Oil Creek, Venango County, Pennsylvania (engraving)
1587926 Oil-Springs at Tarr Farm, Oil Creek, Venango County, Pennsylvania (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Oil-Springs at Tarr Farm, Oil Creek)

The Land of Oil, Transport of Barrels on Oil Creek (engraving)
1611662 The Land of Oil, Transport of Barrels on Oil Creek (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Land of Oil, Transport of Barrels on Oil Creek)

USA. 19th century. Oil well in the Oil-Creek Valley. Colored engraving. The Spanish and American Illustration, 1872

Oil Refinery
Illustration of a McKinley Oil Company of New York refinery in Oil Creek, Pennsylvania circa 1880. (Photo by Kean Collection/Getty Images)

2662515; out of copyright

PENNSYLVANIA: OIL CREEK. Rafting Petroleum Down Oil Creek in Pennsylvania. Wood engraving, American, 1871

PENNSYLANIA: OIL INDUSTRY. An oil barge on Oil Creek with the town of Pioneer, Pennsylvania, in the background. Photographed by John A. Mather, c1895

The oil field at Bull Run, a tributary of Oil Creek in Western Pennsylvania, 1863
OIL: PENNSYLVANIA, 1863. The oil field at Bull Run, a tributary of Oil Creek in Western Pennsylvania, 1863

OIL WELL, 19TH CENTURY. An early American oil well in the valley of Oil Creek, Pennsylvania, showing oil being pumped directly into vats before being poured into wooden barrels for shipment

AMERICAN PETROLEUM, c1862. American sheet music cover for compositions of dance music, inspired by the discovery of petroleum at Oil Creek, Pennsylvania, in 1859

PENNSYLVANIA: OIL CREEK. Transporting barrels of oil in flatboats on the shallow Oil Creek, western Pennsylvania. Wood engraving from an English newspaper of 1875

OIL WELL, 19th CENTURY. Oil well at Oil Creek, Pennsylvania. Wood engraving, 1875

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"Oil Creek: A Glimpse into Pennsylvania's 19th Century Oil Boom" Step back in time to Funkville, Pennsylvania, in the year 1864. The general view of this bustling town reveals a landscape transformed by the oil industry. Engraved images depict the awe-inspiring oil-springs at Tarr Farm on Oil Creek, Venango County, and is here that nature's liquid gold gushes forth, fueling dreams and fortunes. Witness the transport of barrels along Oil Creek as depicted in another engraving titled "The Land of Oil. " These wooden vessels glide through the waterways, carrying precious cargo destined for refineries and markets far beyond these shores. Intriguingly colored is an image capturing an oil well nestled within the picturesque valley of Oil-Creek. This visual testament showcases early American ingenuity as black gold is extracted from deep within the earth. Venturing further downstream, we encounter a wood engraving showcasing rafts laden with petroleum making their way down Oil Creek. Witnessed by eager spectators, this scene captures both excitement and trepidation surrounding this burgeoning industry. Pioneer, Pennsylvania comes alive through yet another engraving featuring an oil barge gracefully navigating its way along Oil Creek. The town stands witness to progress and prosperity brought about by this booming trade. Bull Run emerges as a vital tributary feeding into Oil Creek itself; it becomes clear that every corner of Western Pennsylvania has been touched by this transformative force. An image from 1863 transports us to this very location where men toil tirelessly amidst vast fields dotted with drilling rigs - a sight that epitomizes America's thirst for energy independence. An early French wood engraving dating back to 1870 offers insight into how oil was processed during those times. Vats collect freshly pumped crude before being poured meticulously into sturdy wooden barrels ready for shipment - a labor-intensive process emblematic of the era.