Manuscript Group 245
DRAKE WELL MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
[ca. 1847-1973]
350 cu. ft.
The Drake Well Museum in Titusville collects, preserves, and interprets materials related to the founding of the oil industry in Pennsylvania and its growth into a global enterprise. Outdoor exhibits include working machinery, a replica of the Drake Well engine house and derrick, and an early 20th Standard Steel Drilling Rig. Object collections include an outstanding assortment of lighting devices and oil tools. The Library contains over 2,600 published titles, including oil well supply catalogues, oil directories, prospectus of various early oil companies, oil histories, geological surveys, city directories, county histories, maps and oral histories. Over 1,000 cubic feet of manuscript collections include the papers of those involved in the beginnings of the oil industry, including Edwin L. Drake, James Townsend, George Bissell, Brewer & Watson, Col. John J. Carter, James & John McKinney, and many other individuals and companies. The Roberts Torpedo Company Collection contains over 110 cubic feet of material. The Ida Tarbell Collection includes her research on the Standard Oil Company. The Drake Well photographic collection is the largest collection of photographs concerning the early development of the oil industry. The museum has over 10,600 images in its collection which can be reproduced through the photographic services department for purchase. For container listings of select museum collections, click on the links below. For further assistance, as well as a listing of additional collections, visit the Drake Well website or contact the museum at (814) 827-2797.
- John J. Carter Collection, 1864-1911, 190 items, 5.52 cubic feet, includes correspondence, deeds, and miscellaneous papers
- Deeds and Leases
- Newspaper Collections
- Periodical Collection
- Quaker State Collection
- Joseph Reid Collection, 458 items, 17.33 cubic feet, includes papers of the Joseph Reid Gas Engine Company
- Ida M. Tarbell Papers, 5 cubic feet, placed here are those papers of Miss Tarbell which relate to the history of the petroleum industry. Her other papers are in the Allegheny College Library, Meadville
- General Files, ca. 1847-1973. (350 cubic feet) {#245m.1}
| PA State Archives | Hours, Directions, & Fees | Research Topics | Online Catalog | Land Records |