The Titusville Gusher Part 2 (Ep2)
EPISODE 2: THE TITUSVILLE GUSHER, PART TWO. Part One ended in about 1880, with John D. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company crushing the independent oil producers of Northwest Pennsylvania, where oil was first discovered in 1859 and the industry was born. In Part Two, we learn how journalist Ida Tarbell first wrote her History of Standard Oil, which appeared in McClure’s magazine in 19 installments. She tells a detailed story of how one business came to dominate an industry, through the greedy and ethics-defying actions of those who ran it, and the counter-efforts of the oil producers and other people to stop them. Hers was the most impactful work of investigative journalism in America before the Watergate scandal.
Timestamps for major events/discussions:
[01:00] – Re-introducing Ida Tarbell
[03:00] -- McClure’s magazine greenlights a series on the Standard Oil Company
[05:26] – Ida meets Henry Rogers of Standard Oil
[08:31] – the series "The History of Standard Oil" starts appearing in McClure’s magazine
[14:31] – Ida describes John D. Rockefeller
[18:54] – Teddy Roosevelt Administration sues Standard Oil for anti-trust violations
[20:13] – End of the Pennsylvania oil boom
[23:08] – Books relied upon to craft the series
Books to read:
• Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
• Albert J. Churella, The Pennsylvania Railroad, Volume 1: Building and Empire, 1846-1917
• Ida Tarbell, The History of the Standard Oil Company
• Ida Tarbell, All in a Day’s Work [autobiography]
• Daniel Yergin, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Money, Oil and Power
Link to other episodes in this three-part series:
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