American
Oil & Gas
Historical Society
About Us
Petroleum history provides a context for understanding modern energy challenges.
The American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS) preserves U.S. petroleum history, which provides an important context for understanding the modern energy industry. This history, which began in August 1859 with the first commercial U.S. well in Pennsylvania, can help make informed decisions about meeting future energy needs. AOGHS offers education resources, including links to community oil and gas museums, county historical societies, libraries, and others dedicated to material preservation. Please join our effort.
Latest Popular
Articles & Updates
This Week in Petroleum History: June 23 – 29
June 23, 1921 - Signal Hill brings California Oil Boom - Another southern California drilling boom began when a geyser of "black gold" erupted 114 feet high at Signal Hill. The Alamitos No. 1 well, which revealed a giant oilfield, produced about 600 barrels of oil a day...
Smithsonian’s Hall of Petroleum
National Museum of American History once featured oil derricks, pump jacks and other oilfield technologies. The Smithsonian Institution's "Hall of Petroleum" in Washington, D.C., opened in the summer of 1967 inside a museum wing devoted to the history of oilfield...
Red Fork Gusher
Pennsylvania wildcatters discovered an oilfield in 1901 near Tulsa in the Creek Nation, Indian Territory. In 1901, six years before Oklahoma statehood, discovery of the Red Fork oilfield south of Tulsa began the town's journey to becoming the "Oil Capital of the...
Education Centers & Resources
Research Forums
Atlantic Refining Company Publication
A family has preserved its connection to U.S. refining history and is seeking a home for its 1921 company booklet. The grandfather, George Edward Cooper (pictured in the publication), worked for Atlantic Refining Company, which later became ARCO.
Question about Oilfield Storage Tanks
“My family has a farm in western Pennsylvania and once had a small oil pump on the land. I’m trying to learn how the oil was transported from the pump. I know a man came in a truck more than once each week…” — Lauren.
Family donates L.A. Photography
Photos of a father’s years as an employee of the Los Angeles Harbor authority, Valerie Raynor led to the American Oil & Gas Historical Society finding a home for them at a California museum.
History articles & Helpful links
Category Topics
Petroleum Artifacts & Memorabilia
Pages for posting questions, comments, and advice and for researchers, preservationists, and collectors seeking information about the history of artifacts relating to exploration and production technologies, petroleum products, transportation, storage, retail sales, and MORE.
Oil & Gas Families: Personal Stories
Have a family heirloom or other artifacts relating to petroleum history? Many community oil and gas museums can help preserve personal and professional stories…MORE.
Photography & Video Collections
The history of American radio, TV, and film offers portrayals of the U.S. petroleum exploration, production and transportation industries. Many public domain archives provide free access…MORE.
Preserving Old Photographs
The care, handling, and storage of photographs: How to preserve your photographic prints from all eras of photography (and negatives)..MORE.
"Is My Old Oil Stock worth Anything?"
A Q&A forum for sharing details about old and often obscure petroleum stock certificates, many from the early 1900s. Before posting, review our updated business histories of hundreds of old oil and natural gas companies..MORE.
Preserving Audio/Visual Recordings
The Library of Congress offers tips for preserving optical discs, magnetic tape, and other materials with inherent chemical instabilities. Good storage is especially critical to the preservation of these materials….MORE.
History of oil and Gas
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