Where it all began: The story of the people and places where the oil & gas industry began : West Virginia and southeastern Ohio

This exciting book challenges Pennsylvania's long-standing claim as the birthplace of the oil industry. It chronicles the discovery of oil and gas and the development of the oil and gas industry in West Virginia and Southeastern Ohio from the mid-Eighteenth Century. It delves into the powerful political influence that the industry leaders had on the creation of the state of West Virginia in the midst of the turmoil of the Civil War. It shows the importance of the Parkersburg area and West Virginia in the development of the world's most powerful and significant industries. The industry revolutionized modern history - from the kerosene light to modern plastics (for which the mid-Ohio valley is now famous). The amount of money involved is almost beyond comprehension when oil-related transactions of the 1800's are translated into today's dollar equivalents. The book points out the influence of the area and its people on some of the most powerful companies in the world, including Standard Oil and EXXON, Marathon, Pure Oil, Cabot, Pennzoil, and Union Carbide, to name a few. It is fully illustrated with over 270 pictures and maps - many never before published - and contains much original historical material with insightful analysis covering a range of political, social and economics events from the early 1800's to the present. Original material from newspapers, deeds and personal diaries provide a vivid portrait of the early days of the area. This is a particularly important oilfield and local West Virginia history reference work containing many carefully researched facts which revise long accepted views of historical, political, social and economic events. Much of this new information has national implications.