Douglas Wayne Houck

Energy and Light in Nineteenth Century Western New York: Natural Gas, Petroleum and Electricity Douglas Wayne Houck

In the early 1800s, Americans relied on candles for illumination. When natural gas and oil were harnessed for this purpose, they revolutionized the nation, and it all started in Western New York and Pennsylvania. Early settlers near Fredonia noticed bubbles that could be lighted rising from the bed of the Canadaway Creek, and developed technology to collect enough to light the village. Another man, Dr. Francis Brewer, was intrigued by the black substance and gathered a sample to be analyzed. The thick black substance could be converted to lamp oil, and it was suggested that if enough could be found, it could provide an inexpensive way to light the world. Join local author Douglas Houck as he tells the story of the first commercial developments of natural gas and petroleum products in the nineteenth century.