THE VALLEY OF OIL

by Harry Botsfoed ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 16, 1946

In terms of the men whose names are associated with the beginnings of the oil empire of western Pennsylvania, Harry Botsford has told the story of one of the modern frontiers of industry. In the main, these men failed to cash in on the promise of their careers; Edwin L. Drake, who successfully experimented with tapping a vein of oil in Titusville, lived out his last years in poverty; Coal Oil Johnny Steele threw a fortune away on a spending spree; the Holmdens rose from obscurity and sank again; oil centers and mushroom growth gave way to ghost towns; men were ruined because transportation problems defeated them. A robust and colorful drama, which encompasses most of the experimental years, the trailblazing -- the trial and error methods by which oil was mastered. Uneven in style, often repetitious, the book still has a certain glamor of a dramatic period and story.

Pub Date: Oct. 16, 1946

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Hastings House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1946

Categories: NONFICTION