It powers our cars, and gas stations can be found around just about every corner. But there was a time when gasoline was something no one even wanted.

For much of the 19th century, it was an afterthought.

鈥淕asoline was not something that had much of a use for people until the internal combustion engine came along,鈥� said Chris Wells, professor and chair of environmental studies at Macalester College. 鈥淚t was a flammable byproduct of the refining process.鈥�

Refiners who were drilling and processing crude oil had been focused on producing kerosene, the clean-burning fuel that lit America鈥檚 lamps and extended the day long after sunset.

What remained 鈥� a volatile, flammable liquid known as gasoline 鈥� was often thrown away.

Few could have predicted that this unwanted substance would become the fuel that reshaped American life.

Gasoline finds its power

Things began to change in the late 1800s as inventors experimented with internal combustion engines and discovered gasoline鈥檚 advantages.

It vaporized easily and ignited quickly, making it ideal for small, powerful engines.

Unlike steam power, which required bulky boilers and a constant supply of water, gasoline engines were compact and well-suited for personal transportation.

鈥淭here was a fairly intense competition between three different kinds of automobiles in the first five to seven years that automobiles were available commercially in the United States,鈥� said Wells.

Henry Ford鈥檚 introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908 was a milestone.

It helped transform the automobile from a luxury item into a consumer product.

鈥淭he Ford Model T was absolutely instrumental in helping launch automobile ownership as a widespread phenomenon,鈥� explained Wells. 鈥淚t was the spread of automobiles as a widespread phenomenon that helped explain why gasoline suddenly became really important as a product.鈥�

The rise of gasoline reshaped the nation鈥檚 physical landscape.

Roads expanded beyond cities, linking rural areas to urban centers.

Highways emerged, followed by motels and diners.

Suburbs grew as commuting by car became easier, changing the patterns of work and daily life.

Americans take to the roads

A lot of the early owners of automobiles were relatively wealthy, and when they went driving, they didn’t want to drive in traffic downtown.

They wanted to get out of the city and explore the countryside.

鈥淥ne of the reasons why the Model T turned out to be so important was that it allowed people to drive around in places where there weren’t yet great roads,鈥� said Wells. 鈥淲hat Ford was able to do was to build a machine that was, compared to its competitors, lightweight and capable in handling bad roads.鈥�

The automobile 鈥� and gasoline with it 鈥� made distance less of an obstacle.

Delivery trucks replaced horse-drawn wagons.

Businesses could serve more people, and employees could live farther from their jobs.

By the mid-1900s, the transformation was complete.

A once discarded liquid had found its calling 鈥� and in doing so, helped drive the United States into the modern age.

鈥淭he automobile really allowed people to do things that simply hadn’t been possible before, and that was enormously exciting,鈥� said Wells.

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Horses pulled streetcars through growing cities. Mules hauled freight across farms and construction sites. Oxen dragged plows and wagons, providing the muscle that supported farmers and built the nation鈥檚 early infrastructure. Animal power was essential and dependable.

But the entire system began to change as petroleum-based fuels entered American life, replacing muscle with machines.

It was a shift that transformed transportation, farming and industry across the young country.

The constraints of 鈥榤uscle power鈥�

While animals set the pace of the economy for much of the 19th century, there were clear limitations.

Horses could work only so many hours a day, and they required constant feeding and care.

Urban areas had to deal with manure-filled streets and the incredible challenge of keeping tens of thousands of animals alive, healthy and productive.

In rural America, farmers relied on animals that couldn鈥檛 always work in bad weather 鈥� or when age and illness caught up with them.

But petroleum solved many of those problems.

The rise of refined fuels such as kerosene and gasoline 鈥� along with petroleum-based lubricants that reduced friction and wear 鈥� allowed machines to run longer and more reliably than animals ever could.

Engines didn鈥檛 get tired. They didn鈥檛 need rest, and they could operate wherever fuel could be delivered.

Reinventing travel and work

The transformation was the most visible in transportation.

In the late 1800s, American cities began phasing out horse-drawn streetcars in favor of vehicles powered by electric motors and internal combustion engines.

Petroleum-based fuels would later dominate travel, especially across longer distances. Gasoline-powered cars, trucks and buses shattered the limits of animal speed and strength.

Vehicles could travel farther in a day than animals could in a week, and the consequences of that stretched far beyond convenience.

More efficient transportation meant goods could be moved faster between farms, factories and markets. Perishable food reached cities sooner. Supply chains stretched farther.

On farms, oil-driven machines transformed agriculture in a profound way.

Tractors powered by gasoline and later diesel replaced teams of horses and mules, allowing farmers to do more work with fewer people and fewer animals.

Machines could harvest faster and operate longer into the day than animal labor ever allowed, while petroleum-based lubricants kept engines running smoothly.

American farming was fundamentally reshaped. Small operations expanded. Large farms became more efficient.

By the early 20th century, the transition was largely complete.

Horses remained on some farms and were still used for various tasks like hauling wagons and working in remote areas, but the engine had become the dominant source of power.

Petroleum fuels enabled machines to outperform animals in strength and efficiency, altering how Americans moved and worked.

What began as a solution to the limits of animal labor became a shift in American history.

Oil did not simply replace horses, mules and oxen 鈥� it redefined power itself, propelling the nation into a new era driven not just by muscle, but by fuel and machines.

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Recovery often depended entirely on how quickly utility crews could repair damaged lines and restore service. There were few options for temporary replacements.

That began to change in the decades following World War II, as fuel-powered generators made disaster response more flexible and less dependent on the electric grid.

鈥淚t allowed people to stay in their home and not overburden shelters during limited shelter capacity situations,鈥� explained Tim Frazier, professor and faculty director of the Emergency and Disaster Management Program at Georgetown University.

Advances during the war

World War II proved to be a turning point, as the U.S. military relied on mobile generators to power field hospitals and communications outposts in remote areas.

The equipment was designed to be transported by truck and deployed quickly, even in harsh conditions.

After the war, manufacturers adapted that same technology for civilian use, and gasoline-powered generators became more compact and affordable.

The generators gave Americans a new sense of control.

鈥淲e had a lot of people coming back from World War II with some level of experience in understanding what it means to be prepared and being able to function on your own or care for yourself,鈥� said Frazier. 鈥淭hat mentality that’s always been a bit of the American spirit was more forcefully ingrained.鈥�

Hospitals were among the first places to adopt backup generators as standard equipment.

By the 1950s and 1960s, many medical facilities had on-site generators capable of keeping life-support systems and lighting running during extended outages.

鈥淔or a segment of the population that has medical needs, having a backup generator can be the difference between living or dying,鈥� Frazier said.

A lifeline during disasters

The value of portable power became even clearer later in the 20th century.

Hurricanes along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, earthquakes in California and ice storms in the Midwest repeatedly knocked out power for days or weeks at a time.

Mobile generators could be brought into affected areas to power shelters and emergency operations centers, while smaller generators became more common in homes and businesses, especially in regions routinely battered by severe weather.

For businesses, generators meant the difference between closing for days and reopening quickly.

For homeowners, they offered a way to maintain a basic sense of normalcy during outages.

鈥淚t kept food from perishing, so people could actually stay in their home and ride it out,鈥� Frazier said.

Major disasters in the 21st century 鈥� from Hurricane Katrina to Superstorm Sandy to massive wildfires out West 鈥� put into focus just how essential mobile generators had become.

People saw firsthand what happens when the grid goes down for an extended period of time, but generators changed the equation. Power was no longer something that had to remain fixed in one place.

That shift did more than keep lights on.

It changed what people expect after a disaster 鈥� how quickly help arrives and how fast a community can get back on its feet.

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They encountered it outside, glowing in streetlamps or fueling furnaces in factories. It was largely seen as for industrial use.

Now, natural gas is built into everyday life: heating houses, cooking meals and providing us hot water.

That shift from a public fuel source to something people use daily in their personal lives didn’t happen overnight. It unfolded over decades of innovation which gradually brought gas indoors.

Baltimore sets the stage

When natural gas first started showing up in American cities in the early 1800s, it was all about streetlights.

On June 17, 1816, the Gas Light Company of Baltimore became the nation鈥檚 first natural gas company.

Not long after the company’s founding, a gas lamp was lit at the corner of Holliday and Baltimore streets near the Inner Harbor, a spot that still marks that moment in the city鈥檚 history.

At the time, Baltimore was the third largest city in the country. New York and Philadelphia were among the other major cities that also adopted gas lighting.

Brighter streets meant people could stay out later. Businesses could stay open longer, and city life no longer came to a halt when the sun went down.

Inside the home, most Americans were relying on wood and coal for heat. Cast-iron stoves and fireplaces kept rooms warm, and cooking meant open flames with smoke and ash.

It was a messy and sometimes dangerous combination, but gas appliances were costly and still untested on a large scale.

Things began to change as gas pipeline networks expanded in the late 1800s and early 1900s, making it possible to move natural gas over longer distances.

Homes begin to change

Gas stoves began showing up in middle-class kitchens around the turn of the 20th century.

They offered immediate heat and better temperature control, and it wasn’t hard to notice the difference in convenience and cleanliness.

Gas water heaters followed, allowing for hot water without needing to light a fire first.

Home heating was a tougher sell, though. Coal furnaces were deeply ingrained in American life, and people worried about gas leaks and explosions.

Attitudes about that shifted as safety standards improved and thermostats made gas furnaces easier to control, and by the 1920s and 1930s, gas heat was becoming commonplace.

Then World War II sped everything up.

Investments in pipelines connected Texas, with its booming oil and gas industries, and the Southwest to the Midwest and the East Coast.

After the war, those same lines helped fuel a housing boom as millions moved into new suburbs.

Entire subdivisions were built around gas service, with central heating, gas ranges and water heaters sold as symbols of modern American living and independence.

By the 1950s, natural gas was a dominant fuel in many homes.

What started as a way to light streets and power factories had officially moved indoors.

The聽transition to natural gas was not just a technological shift but a cultural one, redefining what Americans expected from their living spaces and the energy that powered them.

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The widespread use of kerosene, a petroleum-based fuel, was more than just a convenience.

It marked a transformation that reshaped daily life in the 19th century.

Derived from crude oil, kerosene offered a brighter and more efficient alternative to fuels Americans had traditionally depended on, including whale oil and tallow candles that were made from rendered animal fat.

Whale oil was expensive and increasingly difficult to obtain. Tallow candles burned dimly and filled rooms with smoke and soot, giving off a strong and unpleasant smell.

How kerosene gained traction

The big breakthrough came in the 1840s, when Canadian geologist Abraham Gesner developed a method to distill a clear, flammable liquid from coal, bitumen and oil shale, which he marketed as 鈥渒erosene.鈥�

The fuel produced a clean and bright light, and it quickly drew attention.

Gesner鈥檚 invention had far-reaching and long-lasting economic effects, beginning with a decline in demand for whale oil, which came from whale blubber.

As kerosene spread, the whaling industry declined, which helped to protect whale populations.

Kerosene emerged as a more affordable and reliable option, one that could be produced in large quantities and used in lamps that were already found in American homes.

Gesner鈥檚 work laid the foundation for the modern petroleum industry, attracting entrepreneurs who were excited to produce and distribute the new fuel.

Oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, who would later establish Standard Oil, was among those who made their first fortunes by building kerosene distilleries.

By the 1850s, petroleum was being refined into kerosene on a large scale. For Americans, the timing could not have been better.

The benefits of illumination

The U.S. was entering a period of rapid growth and expansion, and families across the nation were eager to find a better option for lighting their lives.

Kerosene lamps quickly found their way into homes, schools and businesses.

Many small towns and rural communities gained access to dependable lighting for the first time.

Unlike candles or whale oil lamps, kerosene lamps could brighten larger spaces and burn for hours with a single filling.

That steady light allowed Americans to extend their workdays and have free time well into the evening, changing lives and routines. Families could gather together long after the sun went down.

Americans settled into a new rhythm.

Demand for kerosene fueled expansion in the petroleum industry, reflecting a shift in the way Americans used resources, as petroleum became more central to daily life.

The arrival of electric lighting in the 1880s and 1890s eventually began to take the place of kerosene in urban areas, but many rural households continued relying on kerosene well into the 20th century.

Kerosene鈥檚 dominance in American homes was not just about illumination. It represented a shift in technology and daily life, changing the social patterns of the nation.

The glow of kerosene lamps in many ways was America鈥檚 first taste of the convenience that electricity would later bring to everyone.

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While early aircraft could lift off the ground, they were fragile and limited in how far they could go.

Flying only became reliable and accessible after advances in aviation fuel and engine technology made long-distance flight possible.

Without those energy breakthroughs, flying would likely have stayed a risky hobby for daredevils and inventors instead of becoming part of everyday life.

Early flight relied on familiar fuels.

For example, when the Wright brothers took to the air in 1903, their aircraft ran on gasoline similar to what powered cars.

Those early engines were weak by modern standards and burned fuel inefficiently, which meant flights were short and unsafe.

Pilots had little margin for error, and mechanical failures happened frequently.

Branching out with new fuel

As aircraft designs improved, engineers quickly realized that standard gasoline posed serious problems.

It could ignite too easily, burned unevenly and struggled to deliver consistent power, especially as planes climbed higher into thinner air.

Pilots needed engines they could trust, and engines needed fuel that behaved in a predictable way.

The search for better fuel was on.

By the 1920s and 1930s, aviation gasoline, known as 鈥渁vgas,鈥� was developed specifically for airplanes.

It burned more smoothly and could handle higher power without damaging engines.

In simple terms, it allowed pilots to push planes harder and fly farther without the engine shaking itself apart and failing.

That single improvement unlocked longer flights and far more dependable planes.

Fuel quality was becoming just as important as wing design.

World War II accelerated everything.

Fighter planes and bombers needed maximum power and reliability, leading to the mass production of high-performance fuels that helped aircraft fly faster, climb quicker and operate in difficult conditions.

Advances made during the war later carried over into the lives of civilians.

Jet fuel changes the game

The true turning point came in the mid-20th century with the arrival of jet engines.

Jets changed what flying meant, allowing planes to move faster, fly higher above the weather and carry many more people at once.

That efficiency reshaped the business of air travel, but jet engines needed a different kind of fuel.

Kerosene-based jet fuels like 鈥淛et A鈥� and 鈥淛et A-1鈥� were designed to burn steadily and safely in turbine engines.

They packed a lot of energy and were relatively easy to store.

Planes such as the Boeing 707 鈥� and later the Boeing 747 鈥� used jet fuel to make long-distance travel faster than ever before.

Travel times dropped, costs came down and airlines expanded routes across oceans and continents.

Flying was no longer just a novelty or a luxury.

With dependable fuel available worldwide, airlines could run tight schedules and connect people across long distances.

By the late 20th century, air travel had become routine.

It was a normal part of work, vacations and family life.

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Authorized by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the system was meant to strengthen national defense, move goods more efficiently and make it easier for people to get around.

At the time, it was pitched as an infrastructure project. What followed was a transformation that touched nearly every corner of American life.

Built for cars and trucks, the interstate network accelerated the use of gasoline and helped redefine where Americans lived, worked and traveled.

Places that once felt distant suddenly seemed closer.

“On the people side of it, it was the idea of connecting the cities and regions together (in a better way),” said Daniel Sperling, professor and founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis.

On the freight side, the system helped move goods faster and more reliably across the country, reshaping supply chains.

“By the 1950s, trucks were playing a very big role in moving goods 鈥� and the interstate would be a much more efficient way of doing it,” Sperling said. “It replaced other roads that were not built to the same standard.”

Highways and a demand for gasoline grew side by side, each one fueling the growth of the other.

Driving for work, and driving for fun

As the interstate system spread, driving became easier and faster.

Driving for work and driving for fun became part of the same system.

In the years following World War II, the United States saw a sharp rise in car ownership. Federal investment in highways shortened travel times and encouraged people to live farther from where they worked. Longer commutes became possible and, over time, routine for millions of Americans.

“The result was a dramatic increase in car usage from that period starting in the 1950s going forward,鈥� Sperling said. 鈥淎s these interstates were built out across the country, the number of cars that came into circulation and the use of the cars, in terms of how much they traveled, just kept increasing at a very steep rate.鈥�

Freedom means mobility

Cars also became central to recreation. Road trips, weekend getaways and long-distance travel grew easier and more common.

The Interstate Highway System gave Americans a level of independence they had never experienced before.

With a car and a full tank of gas, people could decide when to leave, where to go and how long to stay.

The open road became a powerful symbol of personal freedom, and that freedom reshaped the nation. And highways made it all possible.

In that sense, the Interstate Highway System was not just a transportation project, but an energy system built into the landscape itself.

“It greatly eased the ability to travel,” Sperling said. “(The interstates) were free and they were fast, and so it stimulated much more travel than would ever have occurred otherwise.”

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Under the legislation, Fairfax County would need to get approval from voters on whether casino gaming should be allowed before moving forward on a proposal.

The bill has not yet made it to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk as lawmakers in both chambers still need to address the differences in the versions of the bill that was passed.

Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Jeff McKay told 海角精品黑料 he would not hold a referendum posing the casino question to voters, should the legislation be signed into law as is.

“If the bill comes out in its current form, I will not support it going to referendum,” McKay told 海角精品黑料. “I am not going to subject my residents to vote on something that we know is a bad deal for them.”

McKay said his biggest issue with the bill is how it divvies up revenue. According to on a feasibility study, the casino would generate $42.2 million in tax revenue to the Commonwealth and $19.9 million to Fairfax County.

“This perpetuates a pattern in Richmond where the revenue share, the split of revenue, benefits the state,” McKay said. “This is a great deal for the state. They get 75% of the money. We get 25% of it, and all the problems associated with a casino.”

Some critics of the casino are concerned about its possible impacts on traffic and crime.

McKay said he also takes issue with restrictions the bill will impose on the county board of supervisors.

“It severely restricts the land use control of the county board of supervisors, and land use has always been a local government prerogative.” McKay said.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, who introduced, has said a casino and entertainment district would keep some revenue in Virginia, instead of losing it all to the nearby MGM National Harbor.

The plan, which passed in the House of Delegates and Senate, could allow a casino to be built anywhere in Fairfax County with the go-ahead from voters.

It’s the latest iteration of a casino proposal that’s been debated in the Virginia General Assembly for years, with lawmakers initially only discussing Tysons as a potential location.

Before the bill is sent to Spanberger, delegates and senators have to reach an agreement on its language, since the version each chamber passed is different.

In the bill’s current form, McKay said it gives the option for the board to chose whether to hold a referendum.

“The state could always change that,” McKay said. “They could always impose this upon us, and that’s something I’ve raised concerns about repeatedly with my colleagues and the public.”

It’s unclear whether Spanberger plans to sign the bill, but McKay said the governor has generally been against gambling activities.

“I would suspect that whether there’s a referendum requirement or not would be a major factor in what the governor does, because at a minimum, the local government should have the authority to decide whether or not a referendum should be held,” he said.

海角精品黑料’s Scott Gelman contributed to this report.

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One of the earliest examples emerged in Pennsylvania in 1859, where an oil well drilled in Titusville sparked the nation鈥檚 first oil boom.

鈥淣ot every oil and gas discovery leads to a big boom, but some of them certainly do,鈥� said Daniel Raimi, a fellow at the nonprofit research institution Resources for the Future.

鈥淭he early one in Pennsylvania led to this enormous rush of people coming into the region.鈥�

That basic pattern in Pennsylvania 鈥� a discovery followed by rapid development 鈥� would repeat itself across the country.

Turning discoveries into growth

Texas is perhaps the clearest and most lasting example of how oil can fuel long-term economic advantages.

When an oil field was discovered at a site known as Spindletop in 1901, it helped turn Texas from a largely agricultural state into a global energy powerhouse.

Texas used its oil and gas wealth to branch out, building strong finance, manufacturing and technology sectors.

鈥淢any of the communities in Texas that produce a lot of oil and gas 鈥� their economies are quite strong today because of the health of the industry,鈥� said Raimi. 鈥淭here are some communities that are doing very well because of their oil and gas resources, but there are others where the industry has risen and fallen over time.鈥�

Oklahoma and Louisiana followed similar paths, with oil and natural gas development driving job creation and boosting state revenue.

More recently, advances in drilling techniques reshaped states like North Dakota and Pennsylvania by opening up oil and gas reserves that had previously been inaccessible.

鈥淭he oil and gas industry is very cyclical. It goes up and down with global energy markets,鈥� Raimi said.

鈥淚f a community can attract other industries to complement the oil and gas industry, that is what you really need to sustain a healthy long-term economy.鈥�

Banking for the future

Alaska offers a unique example of how oil wealth can translate directly into public benefits.

After oil was discovered in the far north portion of Alaska in 1968, the state created the Alaska Permanent Fund to manage its oil wealth and share it across generations.

The fund operates as a sovereign wealth fund, with a portion of oil revenue set aside each year and invested across a diversified portfolio.

Those investments generate returns that allow the fund to grow over time.

The fund is now worth more than $80 billion.

It allows Alaska residents to receive an annual check 鈥� essentially a dividend for living in a resource-rich state.

鈥淭he single most important thing that a state government can do is take some of the government revenue that’s generated by the industry and invest those dollars into long-term, permanent funds that can help stabilize the public finances and the economies of producing regions,鈥� said Raimi. 鈥淪aving money for the future and trying to diversify local economies is really the way to go.鈥�

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Before the mid-19th century, Americans drew nearly all their energy directly from the natural world around them.

Wood heated homes, cooked meals and fueled small industries. Transportation depended on the muscle of horses and oxen, or the wind in a ship鈥檚 sails. Waterwheels turned along rivers and streams.

It was wood, water and muscle that first formed the backbone of the nation鈥檚 energy system.

A wood-fueled nation

In early America, wood was indispensable.

Vast forests covering the landscape provided an endless source of fuel for homes and small industries.

It鈥檚 estimated that wood from land clearing alone accounted for more than half of all fuel used between 1850 and 1860. But how did wood go from forests into the hands of everyday people?

The process began with woodcutters selecting and taking down trees during the winter months, when sap content was lowest, making the wood easier to split.

Workers used simple tools like axes and saws. Logs were cut into pieces and dragged by horses or oxen to processing areas, where they were split, stacked and prepared for use.

Industries were strategically located near forests to maintain lower operational costs. In urban areas, wood merchants established yards where they stored and sold processed firewood, supplying homes and businesses.

The entire system, from forest management to delivery, created an economic network.

From rivers to power

Waterpower was the other pillar of early American energy, with rivers carrying boats and powering mills.

Rivers functioned as engines, turning the wheels that ground grain, sawed timber, pressed oil and processed cloth.

Waterwheels transformed flowing streams into consistent energy, gradually taking over jobs that once had to be carried out by people or through animal labor.

For farmers, mills were crucial lifelines.

Some traveled as far as 50 miles to have their grain ground, which was worth the effort to save hours of hand labor.

Mills were so central to daily life that towns competed aggressively to attract them, offering free land, tax exemptions and even cash incentives. In some areas, a town without a mill was considered incomplete or even uncivilized.

Water powered more than just machines. It fueled the communities that grew around it, helping Americans thrive and encouraging economic activity along the banks of rivers and streams.

But waterpower had significant limitations. It relied on seasonal flows and proximity to rivers, meaning energy could not be moved beyond the immediate area.

Over time, technological advances reshaped the energy landscape. Steam-powered machines, fueled by wood and then by coal, marked the start of industrialization.

By the early to mid-20th century, coal was being replaced by oil and natural gas.

The transition to fossil fuels was inevitable as Americans looked for more reliable and powerful ways to fuel a nation. Still, America鈥檚 early energy system 鈥� powered by forests, rivers, wind and muscle 鈥� laid the foundation for the nation.

The country鈥檚 energy story began not underground, but in the landscape itself.

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It was skimmed from surface seeps or collected from shallow pits and sold primarily as a medicinal product or lubricant.

Everything changed in the summer of 1859.

That’s when a single well in northwestern Pennsylvania set off a transformation that reshaped the nation鈥檚 economy and altered the course of history.

On Aug. 27, 1859, Edwin Drake successfully drilled the world鈥檚 first commercial oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, launching the first major oil boom in the United States and the birth of what would become the modern petroleum industry.

Drake鈥檚 well produced about 20 barrels of oil per day. That’s not a big deal by today’s standards, but it was unprecedented at the time, and it proved that oil could be extracted systematically from beneath the earth鈥檚 surface.

The discovery showed that petroleum production could be planned, expanded and made profitable.

A solution for darkness

At the time, demand for a new source of energy was growing.

Whale oil was the main fuel used for lighting, but it was becoming scarce and expensive.

Entrepreneurs and investors were looking for alternatives, and petroleum 鈥� when refined into kerosene 鈥� emerged as a better and more affordable option.

Drake, a former railroad conductor working for the Seneca Oil Company, was brought in to figure out how to extract oil in large quantities.

Using techniques borrowed from salt drilling, Drake and his crew bored 69 feet into the ground.

Oil began flowing steadily into the well, and it confirmed petroleum鈥檚 potential as a reliable energy resource.

News spread quickly.

Titusville and the surrounding region were soon overwhelmed by prospectors and investors eager to capitalize on the discovery.

Towns sprang up almost overnight.

The momentum was unstoppable.

The start of a new energy era

The rush led to rapid innovation, including advances in drilling technology and refining processes.

Pipelines eventually replaced barrels and wagons, laying the groundwork for an organized industry.

The impact of the first oil boom extended well beyond economics.

Kerosene lighting allowed people to stay productive after dark and made reliable light available in far more homes.

Petroleum-based products spread into manufacturing and transportation.

What began as a solution to a lighting shortage became the backbone of industrial growth.

Despite the significance of what he achieved, Edwin Drake never saw lasting financial success. He wasn鈥檛 able to patent his drilling methods, and he failed to profit from oil land speculation.

It鈥檚 a recurring theme, as groundbreaking discoveries often don鈥檛 bring wealth to the people who make them.

Still, the impact of Drake鈥檚 work was immeasurable.

The Titusville well showed that oil could drive progress like never before, kicking off an industry that would shape geopolitics, spark new technologies and power everyday life for generations.

The first oil boom was not just a rush in Pennsylvania.

It was the opening chapter of the petroleum age, one that continues to influence the world more than a century and a half later.

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Walkinshaw, a Democrat whose Virginia district is home to many residents who are part of the federal workforce, talked with 海角精品黑料 anchor Nick Iannelli on Thursday and shared what he said everyone in Congress should be doing.

Listen to the interview below.

The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

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Gary 鈥淶eek鈥� Dziekan was walking home from a party at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday near the 200 block of 8th Street in Northeast, when a teen wearing a surgical mask approached him with a gun.

鈥淚 kind of got that sixth sense that something bad was about to happen,鈥� Dziekan said in an interview with 海角精品黑料 anchor Nick Iannelli. The teen demanded Dziekan鈥檚 cellphone and told the firefighter to give him a password to an app.

When Dziekan said he didn鈥檛 know the password, the teen put the gun to Dziekan鈥檚 chest, and, in a split-second decision, the firefighter fought back. He grabbed 鈥渢he barrel of the gun鈥� and swung the teen away, who pulled the trigger.

A bullet landed in Dziekan鈥檚 shoulder after striking the teen鈥檚 fingers and the teen dropped everything, including the gun, and ran.

鈥淚 noticed how much I was bleeding,鈥� the blood was pouring out 鈥減retty good,鈥� Dziekan said. He managed to call 911, but couldn鈥檛 get through to an operator for three minutes.

At that point, the robber ran back to the scene and Dziekan thought, 鈥淗e鈥檚 coming back to finish me off and kill me.鈥�

While lying on the ground, Dziekan grabbed the gun and fired off shots in the teen鈥檚 direction, scaring him off, not knowing if he hit him or not.

鈥淚t鈥檚 either fight or get shot, and I chose to fight,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 still got shot, but it wasn鈥檛 a fatal shot in the chest, for sure.鈥�

Dziekan said during the struggle, he had forced the teen to shoot away from his heart.

Then, 鈥渕y medical training kicks in,鈥� and Dziekan took off his shirt and used it to put pressure on the wound.

A neighbor came over and offered help and Dziekan had him call his firehouse. 鈥淚t鈥檚 Zeek. I鈥檝e been shot. I need help,鈥� he told his fellow firefighters.

鈥淚 kind of was in a shock at that point,鈥� he said.

His colleagues from Engine 18, just a few blocks away, rushed to him and saved his life.

Meanwhile, D.C. police arrested the 17-year-old suspected shooter nearby and charged him with assault with intent to rob. The teen also was injured, police said.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced upgraded charges against Marcellus Dyson Jr., 17, of Suitland, Maryland, on Monday.

Dyson is facing charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and aggravated assault while armed. He鈥檚 being charged as an adult under Title 16.

Dziekan, a father of two, credits his clear-headed thinking to his training as a firefighter, 鈥渂ecause we have to think on the fly in high-pressure situations regularly.鈥�

Even though experts say if someone approaches with a gun, a potential victim should give them whatever they want, Dziekan said, 鈥渢he best decision I made in that whole thing was to grab the gun. Because if not, we wouldn鈥檛 be having this conversation.鈥�

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A political battle for sheriff in Montgomery County, Maryland, is taking shape.

Sheriff Maxwell Uy will face a challenge from Will Milam, who retired earlier this year as chief assistant sheriff for Prince George鈥檚 County, where he served for nearly 20 years.

Before that, Milam worked with the Calvert County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.

In an exclusive interview with 海角精品黑料 Thursday, Milam announced his campaign publicly for the first time, saying the Montgomery County Sheriff鈥檚 Office is 鈥渃urrently broken.鈥�

鈥淭he agency is in the midst of a major staffing crisis, morale among the workforce is at an all-time low and there’s no vision for the future of the department,鈥� Milam said. 鈥淧eople don’t leave jobs, they leave bad managers, and I want to bring a new leadership style that’s sort of aimed at valuing our employees so that they stay.鈥�

Uy has faced criticism from the union that represents employees at the sheriff鈥檚 office, in part because more than two dozen deputies have left the department during his leadership.

鈥淚 think you if you drill down on those departures, you would find that many of them have left due to early retirements,鈥� Milam said. 鈥淭hey’re leaving and electing to leave money on the table to get out of the department, and others have left to go to other law enforcement agencies where they feel more valued.鈥�

In a statement to 海角精品黑料, Uy said the situation was more complicated than that.

“Recent collective bargaining agreements have reduced the actual number of years needed to qualify for retirement by crediting qualified military veterans for up to two years of service, with an option to purchase additional years for retirement credit,” Uy said. “As a military veteran, I commend the efforts to credit veterans for their service, however, in a workforce of only 155 deputies, the loss of one-sixth of the workforce puts real strain and stress on our operations.”

Uy added that it has become harder to recruit deputies, especially when other law enforcement agencies are able to offer significant hiring bonuses.

He said that the sheriff’s office has recently stepped up its community engagement and recruiting efforts.

“As the current, elected sheriff with more than 31 years of service with the MCSO, I consider myself uniquely qualified to handle these challenges,” Uy said.

Uy was first elected to the role of sheriff in 2022.

Both Uy and Milam are now listed as Democratic candidates for sheriff in next year’s election, which means they are set to face each other in a primary in June of 2026.

When asked if his campaign was the result of someone in the department or the union encouraging him to run, Milam said it was not.

鈥淟aw enforcement circles are small, and so it’s not uncommon for you to hear things about other departments,鈥� Milam said. 鈥淭he Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was a department that I had heard wasn’t going the best, and so as a Montgomery County resident and someone who has made this their life work, I started paying attention.鈥�

Milam said, if elected, one of his top priorities would be to focus on domestic violence.

鈥淚t’s a crisis that’s hiding in plain sight,” Milam said. “I want our agency to be proactive in intervening family and domestic violence within the community, partnering with community stakeholders to raise greater awareness and focus on holding abusers accountable.鈥�

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If Moore followed through with that, Harris could be drawn out of his district.

“It disenfranchises huge amounts of the Maryland population. It just wouldn’t be fair,” Harris said in an interview with 海角精品黑料.

Some Democratic governors have vowed to consider redrawing congressional maps in retaliation against Texas Republicans, who are moving forward with rewriting their congressional lines to give the GOP more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In an interview on CBS鈥檚 Face the Nation, Moore said 鈥渁ll options are on the table.鈥�

“For the governor, it would be a stunning reversal from his position,” Harris said. “If you want to go and listen to his inaugural address, he talked about, ‘If they’re good ideas, you work across the aisle.'”

Harris said the move “is the most un-bipartisan thing you could do.”

“The most partisan thing you could do is gerrymander a state that has had two Republican governors out of the last four, into a state that can’t send a Republican to Congress,” Harris said.

He pointed to 2022, when a judge threw out a congressional map drawn by Maryland’s General Assembly, finding that it unfairly favored Democrats.

Harris said he was already weighing his legal options.

“We will take this to court, it will go as high as necessary, and in the end, a judge could draw a map that actually has two or three Republican congressmen,” Harris said. “I’d caution the Democrats, be careful what you wish for.”

The redistricting fight is just one of many disputes involving Maryland and the Trump administration.

Another came when President Trump recently threatened to send in National Guard members to Baltimore to “quickly clean up” crime.

Harris said he could support the idea of putting National Guard members in Baltimore.

“There are many areas of the city where you can’t go in or you’re afraid to go in because crime is just not controlled,” Harris said. “If it takes National Guard troops to clean it up, to stop the drug dealing, to stop the homicides, to stop the carjackings, then I would welcome that.”

“It’s easily justified, and I think the people of Baltimore would benefit from it,” he added.

As part of the growing bitterness between Trump and Moore, the president also threatened to possibly withhold federal funding for the project to rebuild the collapsed Key Bridge in Baltimore.

Harris again sided with the Trump administration.

“I think the funding for the Key Bridge might have to be reinvestigated, because it’s a little unusual that we allowed 100% payment by the federal government,” Harris said. “Normally, it’s a lower amount.”

Though he acknowledged that a different cost-sharing plan could cost Maryland around $200 million.

“If Wes Moore has enough money to spend tens of millions of dollars suing the Trump administration, then maybe Maryland should pick up more of the tab on the Key Bridge,” Harris said. “If the Trump administration rethinks about allowing 100% payment for the Key Bridge, that’s fine with me.”

The Key Bridge reconstruction project is expected to cost about $2 billion and take about four years to complete.

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