Of Kentucky, Salt, and Oil: a History of Early Petroleum Finds along the Cumberland River
Nuttall BC. 2014. Of Kentucky, Salt, and Oil: a History of Early Petroleum Finds along the Cumberland River. Oil-Industry History. 15(1):67-80
ABSTRACT: Kentucky’s pre-1859 petroleum history is rich but largely unknown. This article provides accounts of early boring and explorations, particularly for brines for the manufacture of salt that instead found commercial quantities of oil. The discovery of early salt springs led directly to the drilling of two important Kentucky wells: the Beatty oil well (1818) and the Old American Well (1829). The production and attention these wells attracted led directly to Kentucky’s post-Civil War oil boom.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Nuttall, Brandon
- Units
- BISO
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, BISO, geology, history, oil wells, petroleum, salt, SER, Southeast Region