Canada's Oil History
Explore this exhibit to learn more about the exciting history of the discovery of oil in Lambton County in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Some of the amazing local achievements include the world's first commercial oil well, the first refinery, the first petroleum company, the first oil gusher and many others.
Access the stories of some of the individuals whose perseverance and insight helped to shape a national industry and lay the foundation for a global way of life.
Equipment
Learn about the tools of the oil industry.
Model of a spring-pole drilling rig with a three pole derrick.
The first oil wells were dug by hand, sometimes to depths of 60 feet or more!
The wells were lined with wooden cribbing to keep them from caving in. Workers would dig with shovels until they reached rock. They would then have to find ways to pound through this rock, to reach the oil below. A spring pole would be erected over this dug hole, and a man would be required to step up and down on a treadle, which would raise and lower a drilling bit. This drilling bit would strike repeatedly against the rock, causing it to break apart.
A three-pole derrick would then be erected over the hole, to help the men lift heavy tools and equipment in and out of the well.
People
The stories of the men & women of the oil industry.
The North American petroleum industry began in 1858 in Lambton County.
Asphalt producer James Miller Williams' sought out to drill a water well and discover oil instead his discovery triggered North America's first oil rush. Within a few years, Oil Springs was a bustling town with four thousand residents and in its peak days boasted paved roads, horse-drawn buses and street lamps.
John Henry Fairbank, a surveyor turned oil man who came to Oil Springs in 1861, bought some property and despite incurring debts and suffering family tragedies, Fairbank struck it rich, founding the successful Fairbank Oil Company that is now the oldest petroleum company in the world.
Enjoy the stories of these industrious fortune seekers who developed methods used the world over.
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