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The Oil Museum of Canada, is a petroleum heritage museum in Oil Springs,
The Oil Museum of Canada's exhibits contain petroleum industry artifacts, historic photographs, geological displays and the souvenirs of the 'foreign drillers' who roamed the world in search of oil. The outside exhibits include Canadian drilling rigs, a demonstration of the jerker line pumping system, a nineteenth century oil wagon and original buildings from the boom period.
The Oil Museum of Canada's website includes a virtual exhibit that allows users to explore Lambton County's early oil history through the stories of Oil Springs and Petrolia's prominent historical figures.
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada. The museum is located on the site where James Miller Williams
James Miller Williams (September 14, 1818 – November 25, 1890) was a Canadian-American businessman and politician. Williams is best known for establishing the first commercially successful oil well in 1858 and igniting the first oil boom i ...
dug the first commercial oil well
An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas may ...
on the continent in 1858.
The museum's property, and the lands surrounding it were designated as the "First Commercial Oil Field National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment
An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...
" in 1925. The museum itself was opened to the public in July 1960 and renovated from 2021 to 2022.
History
Interest for an oil museum that paid tribute to Canada's early oil history inLambton County
Lambton County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which is drained by the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake Saint Cla ...
began to surface in 1955 when Canadian Oil Companies Ltd. purchased the land where James Miller Williams
James Miller Williams (September 14, 1818 – November 25, 1890) was a Canadian-American businessman and politician. Williams is best known for establishing the first commercially successful oil well in 1858 and igniting the first oil boom i ...
established North America's first commercial oil well. In 1957, a panel made up of members of the Lambton County Historical Society and the Oil Springs Centennial Committee developed plans for a $100,000 Museum that would preserve the site of the first commercial well and tell the stories of the oldest oil-producing area in North America. The County of Lambton, Oil Springs and various local petrochemical companies financed the project, and Canadian Oil Companies Ltd donated William's former property to the museum committee. Construction began in 1959, and the museum officially opened on July 1, 1960. Lieutenant- Governor John Keiller MacKay
Lieutenant-colonel (Canada), Lieutenant-Colonel John Keiller MacKay (July 11, 1888 – June 12, 1970) was a Canadians, Canadian soldier, lawyer and jurist. MacKay served as the List of lieutenant governors of Ontario#Lieutenant Governors ...
hosted the museum's opening ceremony, noting that "we should hold an enduring reverence and respect for the pioneers, who laid the foundations for the oil development in this area."
In 2021 the museum was closed to the public to allow a $1-million renovation of the main building. The museum reopened in May 2022.
Collection
The Oil Museum of Canada's exhibits contain petroleum industry artifacts, historic photographs, geological displays and the souvenirs of the 'foreign drillers' who roamed the world in search of oil. The outside exhibits include Canadian drilling rigs, a demonstration of the jerker line pumping system, a nineteenth century oil wagon and original buildings from the boom period.
The Oil Museum of Canada's website includes a virtual exhibit that allows users to explore Lambton County's early oil history through the stories of Oil Springs and Petrolia's prominent historical figures.
See also
*List of museums in Ontario
This list of museums in Ontario, Canada contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, sc ...
* List of National Historic Sites of Canada in Ontario
This is a list of National Historic Sites (french: Lieux historiques nationaux) in the province of Ontario. As of July 2021, there were 274 sites designated in Ontario, 39 of which are administered by Parks Canada (identified below and on the cl ...
* List of petroleum and gas museums
This is a list of petroleum, gas, and related museums around the world.
Asia
* Oman Oil and Gas Exhibition Centre, Al-Qurum
* Petroleum Museum, Malaysia
* Taiwan Oil Field Exhibition Hall, Taiwan
* KOC Ahmed Al Jaber Oil and Gas Exhibition, Ku ...
References
External links
* {{official, https://www.lambtonmuseums.ca/oil/ Museums in Ontario Petroleum museums 1957 establishments in Ontario National Historic Sites in Ontario History of the petroleum industry in Ontario