Flashback Fridays: Our very first oil well
Edward L. Doheny (Source: LAPL photo #00028209)
You might know that Los Angeles has a long history of oil (there’s those, you know, La Brea Tar Pits, in case you forgot), but did you know Echo Park is the site of the first Los Angeles oil well?
It was Edward Doheny and Charles Canfield who dug this well in 1892. The story goes, Doheny was in downtown when he saw some guys pushing a heavy cart full of this black, sticky stuff called “brea” (Spanish for “pitch”). The driver told him he had pulled out of a hold near Westlake Park. Learning that the pitch was a fuel replacement for coal, he and Canfield raised money to buy a three-lot parcel at the corner of Patton and State streets, and started digging by hand.
Months later and after 155 feet, the fumes were making everyone sick. They built a crude drilling rig, using a eucalyptus tree trunk, which broke and delays the drilling for weeks until they got the broken rig out of the hole and fixed it. Finally, in March 1893 after 225 feet, the site became the first free-flowing oil well ever drilled in Los Angeles.
“I had found gold and I had found silver and I had found lead,” wrote Doheny, “but this ugly-looking substance… was the key to something more valuable than any or all of these metals.”
They produced 40 barrels per day, selling it for $2 pr barrel (50 cents below market rate). The well pumped for three years, and eventually, Doheny and Canfield expanded their partnership around Los Angeles, making a fortune.
You can read all about it in The Dark Side of Fortune.
Flickr photo via The Eastsider LA
Why show a picture of the Echo Park pool, you ask? Well, the parking lot is the exact site of the oil well. If you are interested in checking out the long history of oil wells in Los Angeles, you might want to read about the urban oil wells bus tour from Spring 2010 led by the Center for Land Use Interpretation (CLUI) – there are some interesting sites you might want to visit some day!
Hi there. I discovered your blog by means of Google while looking for a similar subject, your site came up. It seems good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hi there. I found your website by way of Google even as looking for a similar topic, your site came up. It appears to be great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hey there. I discovered your site by means of Google even as looking for a comparable matter, your web site came up. It looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hey there. I discovered your blog by means of Google while searching for a related subject, your web site came up. It looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome write-up. I’m a regular visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
What a information of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious experience concerning unpredicted feelings.
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good website with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hi there. I discovered your blog by the use of Google even as looking for a related subject, your website came up. It looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome write-up. I am a regular visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Fantastic beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog website? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is really irritating. A good blog with exciting content, that’s what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome write-up. I am a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
Awesome write-up. I’m a normal visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hi there. I found your web site by means of Google whilst searching for a comparable subject, your site came up. It looks great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good blog with interesting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome post. I am a normal visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good website with exciting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this site, and I’ll be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome post. I am a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a long time.
I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty. You’re wonderful! Thanks!
Awesome write-up. I’m a normal visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hey there. I discovered your site by the use of Google at the same time as searching for a related matter, your site came up. It appears good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is actually annoying. A good website with interesting content, that is what I need. Thank you for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Hey there. I found your web site by way of Google at the same time as searching for a comparable matter, your web site got here up. It seems to be good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome write-up. I’m a regular visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Hey there. I discovered your web site by means of Google whilst searching for a related matter, your website came up. It looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hi there. I found your site by way of Google while searching for a related topic, your site got here up. It seems to be good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Awesome write-up. I am a normal visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossip and net stuff and this is actually frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome write-up. I am a normal visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hello there. I found your site by the use of Google even as looking for a comparable matter, your site got here up. It looks great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to come back then.
Awesome write-up. I am a normal visitor of your site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a long time.
Awesome write-up. I am a normal visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Awesome post. I’m a normal visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a long time.
Hey there. I found your site via Google even as looking for a related subject, your site got here up. It appears great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Hey there. I found your web site by way of Google even as looking for a comparable subject, your website came up. It seems to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then.
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and web stuff and this is really frustrating. A good web site with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Epígrafe 18.2.- Comercio al por mayor de toda clase de mercancías, exclusivamente dentro de las zonas y depósitos francos con productos en ellos consignados y que se limite exclusivamente al aprovisionamiento de buques extranjeros y españoles de gran cabotaje y altura, así como al de aeronaves extranjeras y españolas del servicio internacional, ya en forma directa ya a través de una previa exportación al extranjero.
Awesome post. I am a normal visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a really long time.
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and internet stuff and this is really frustrating. A good blog with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for making this web site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome post. I am a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I’m really glad I have found this info. Today bloggers publish just about gossip and web stuff and this is really annoying. A good blog with interesting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this web-site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome write-up. I am a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a long time.
Awesome post. I am a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a really long time.
Awesome write-up. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
Awesome write-up. I am a normal visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a regular visitor for a really long time.
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossip and net stuff and this is really irritating. A good blog with exciting content, this is what I need. Thank you for making this site, and I will be visiting again. Do you do newsletters by email?
Awesome write-up. I’m a regular visitor of your web site and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I’ll be a frequent visitor for a really long time.