Industrial Expansion

First Oil Well is Drilled

1859

The Drake Well was drilled in 1859 near Oil Creek. This was the first commercial oil well in the United States. The well is 69.5 feet deep and it produced 12 to 20 barrels of oil every day. Now, it is the centerpiece of the Drake Well Museum in Cherrytree Township in Pennsylvania.

Transcontinental Railroad is Completed

May 10, 1869

The First Transcontinental Railroad stretched from Iowa to California and allowed travel across the country be easier, faster, and cheaper. The construction took 6 years to complete and to celebrate, a golden spike was dug into the ground.

Rockefeller Founds Standard Oil

1870

Standard Oil was founded by John D. Rockefeller and Henry Flagler in 1870. It was the largest oil refinery in the world at the time. Rockefeller received the most amount of shares and became one of the richest men in the world. This company threatened to destroy all of its competitors.

Bell Patents Telephone

Mar 7, 1876

Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone in 1876. His first test was to his assistant. The telephone used vibrations from electric currents to recreate the sound made from the other side.

First Telephone in White House

Nov 6, 1877

In 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes has the White House's first telephone installed in the mansion's telegraph room. The phone number for the White House was "1."

Edison Perfects Incandescent Light Bulb

Oct 22, 1879

Edison and his team tested thousands of light bulbs in Edison's Lab located in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The first successful light bulb was a electric lamp with carbon filament. It lasted for 13.5 hours.

Railroads Set Up Standard Time Zones

Nov 18, 1883

Operators of the railroad needed a new time plan to have a uniform train schedule for departures and arrivals. Four standard time zones were introduced in 1883.

First Electric Trolley Line

1888

The first electric trolley line was in Richmond, Virginia. The Richmond Union Passenger Railway was designed by Frank Julian Sprague. It started with 10 cars.

Sherman Antitrust Act is Passed

Jul 2, 1890

The first Federal act that outlawed monopolistic business practices. It was passed in 1890 to prohibit trusts.

Carnegie Steel Company is Formed

Jul 1, 1892

Andrew Carnegie created this company to manage the steel mills in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was formed in 1892 and eventually sold in 1901. This sale made Andrew Carnegie one of the richest men in the world.

J.P. Morgan Founds U.S. Steel

Mar 2, 1901

U.S. Steel is a steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded by J.P. Morgan and Elbert H. Gary in 1901 by combining Carnegie Steel Company with Federal Steel Company.