William A. Smith

William A. Smith is a Pennsylvania historical marker in NE of Saxonburg, Butler County, dedicated 1955.

Butler County · dedicated 1955 · N Pike Rd. (PA 356) near Cooper Rd. (T677), NE of Saxonburg

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Known as "Uncle Billy" Smith. In 1859, he drilled the world's first successful oil well with tools that he made in his blacksmith shop near Tarentum. The well, 69 1/2 ft. deep, was drilled near Titusville for Col. Edwin Drake. "Uncle Billy" died in 1890. He lies buried about 120 ft. southeast of here.

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Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

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Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

William A. Smith

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