George Bissell
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George Bissell was the father of the American oil industry.
In 1853 he observed by chance the primitive oil-gathering industry in western Pennsylvania. At the time, oil was gathered by such crude methods as soaking blankets in surface oil and then draining the blankets over barrels. The oil was used mainly for medicinal purposes.
Bissell had the innovative idea of using this oil to produce kerosene, then in high demand. He formed the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company for this purpose. In 1856 Bissell conceived of the idea of drilling for oil, rather than mining it, an idea that was widely considered ludicrous at the time. On August 27, 1859, the company first succeeded in striking oil, on a farm in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Bissell invested heavily in the surrounding region and ended up becoming quite wealthy.
The company's agent, Edwin Drake, is sometimes credited with the "discovery" of oil.