Show oil at first employed for medical purposes purple the new york sun records the seventieth birthday ot of the american oil industry which it says had its beginning when col edwin 1 iwan L drake and uncle billy smith struck oil at titus ausville ville penn tills this was indeed the first well t to 0 be driven for oil but stu since ce oil was being taken from a kentucky well for the same purpose namely medicine 30 years earlier kentucky may he be said to have some claims as the birthplace of the industry on creek three miles above in cumberland county stands a marker on the site of the famous american well drilled in 1828 salt well drillars drillers dr illers lilt hit a gusher nt at feet which spouted CO 50 feet in the nir air for several days american oil as it was called was sold for many years as a cure all and many a rural family probably lias has one of the original vials with the name blown in the glass standing on it a cupboard shelf |