by Bruce Wells | Jul 3, 2026 | Petroleum Art
Some say L. Frank Baum’s 1880s oil business inspired the Tin Man.
The Tin Man in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz can trace his roots to the earliest U.S. oilfields where L. Frank Baum operated a lubricant business before becoming the famous children’s book author. (more…)
by Bruce Wells | Oct 29, 2025 | Petroleum Pioneers
19th-century “Smoky City” skies cleared when factories replaced coal with natural gas.
In 1878, the Haymaker brothers discovered a Pennsylvania natural gas field near Pittsburgh – and laid the foundation for many modern petroleum companies.
Like many young men of their time, Michael Haymaker and his brother Obediah sought to make their fortunes in Pennsylvania’s booming petroleum industry. They left their Westmoreland County farm to seek work in the oilfields. (more…)