American
Oil & Gas
Historical Society
About Us
U.S. petroleum history provides
a context for understanding the
modern energy business.
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, July 26 to August 1
July 27, 1918 - Standard Oil of New York launches Concrete Oil Tanker - America's first concrete vessel designed to carry oil, the Socony, left its shipyard at Flushing Bay, New York. Built for the Standard Oil Company of New York, the barge was 98-feet long with a...
Petroleum Survey discovers U-boat
Routine scan of Gulf of Mexico seabed for new petroleum pipelines reveals shipwrecks. During World War II, U-boats prowled the Gulf of Mexico to disrupt the flow of oil carried by tankers departing ports in Louisiana and Texas. Today's petroleum companies operating in...
Zebco Reel Oilfield History
Oilfield service provider Zero Hour Bomb Company produced "cannot backlash" fishing reels in 1949 -- and became Zebco. When Jasper R. Dell Hull walked into the Tulsa offices of the Zero Hour Bomb Company in 1947, he carried a piece of plywood with a few nails in a circle...
Education Centers & Resources
Research Forums
Cities Service Bowling Teams?
I was wondering if there are any records or pictures of bowling leagues and teams for Cities Service in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Houston, Texas, or Lafayette, Louisiana. I would appreciate any information. My dad was on the team. – Lisa
Oilfield Storage Tanks?
My family has a farm in western PA 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.
Early Gasoline Pumps?
For the smaller, early stations from around 1930, was the gas stored in a tank in the ground below the dispenser/pump? – Chris
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
Subscribe for Updates
Stay up to date with our latest articles about petroleum history and modern energy education programs by receiving our monthly email newsletter, "Oil & Gas History News."