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Coal Canals, Oil Pipelines, Electricity Transmission Wires in the Mid-Atlantic, 1820-1930

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Coal Canals, Oil Pipelines, Electricity Transmission Wires in the Mid-Atlantic, 1820-1930 University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations Summer 2009 Energy Landscapes: Coal Canals, Oil Pipelines, Electricity Transmission Wires in the Mid-atlantic, 1820-1930 Christopher F. Jones University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons Recommended Citation Jones, Christopher F., "Energy Landscapes: Coal Canals, Oil Pipelines, Electricity Transmission Wires in the Mid-atlantic, 1820-1930" (2009). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 16. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/16 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/16 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Energy Landscapes: Coal Canals, Oil Pipelines, Electricity Transmission Wires in the Mid-atlantic, 1820-1930 Abstract Coal canals, oil pipelines, and electricity transmission wires transformed the built environment of the American mid-Atlantic region between 1820 and 1930. By transporting coal, oil, and electrons cheaply, reliably, and in great quantities, these technologies reshaped the energy choices available to mid-Atlantic residents. In particular, canals, pipelines, and wires created new energy landscapes: systems of transport infrastructure that enabled the ever-increasing consumption of fossil fuels. Energy Landscapes integrates history of technology, environmental history, and business history to provide new perspectives on how Americans began to use fossil fuels and the social implications of these practices. First, I argue that the development of transport infrastructure played critical, and underappreciated, roles in shaping social energy choices. Rather than simply responding passively to the needs of producers and consumers, canals, pipelines, and wires structured how, when, where, and in what quantities energy was used. Second, I analyze the ways fossil fuel consumption transformed the society, economy, and environment of the mid-Atlantic. I link the consumption of coal, oil, and electricity to the development of an urban and industrialized region, the transition from an organic to a mineral economy, and the creation of a society dependent on fossil fuel energy. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group History and Sociology of Science First Advisor Ruth Schwartz Cowan Second Advisor Walter Licht Third Advisor Robert Kohler Keywords energy, infrastructure, mid-Atlantic, coal, oil, electricity Subject Categories History of Science, Technology, and Medicine This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/16 Energy Landscapes: Coal Canals, Oil Pipelines, and Electricity Transmission Wires in the Mid-Atlantic, 1820-1930 COPYRIGHT 2009 Christopher F. Jones iii Acknowledgments I have been blessed by an abundance of family, friends, and colleagues while working on this project. The long hours I have spent reading, researching, and writing have been made possible by the intellectual and emotional support of those around me. To all who have been in my life, thank you. You have made the process of writing this dissertation, along with the rest of my life, much more rewarding. First, I’d like to thank my family. My parents paved the way for me in this endeavor, giving me a strong intellectual background and the freedom to pursue any path I wished. My extended family has offered companionship, meals, and places to stay on research trips and vacations. My friends have provided fun, distraction, and balance. Lindsey, thank you for being a true partner in this process. Your love, support, and understanding are deeply appreciated. I have been fortunate to have a wonderful set of faculty mentors. Robert McGinn at Stanford University inspired me, as well as so many other students, to ask critical questions about the role of science and technology in society. His passion and encouragement led me to the Penn History & Sociology of Science Department for my graduate work. Ruth Schwartz Cowan is a terrific advisor—challenging, insightful, and supportive. Her insistence on clear writing and attention to detail has saved me from numerous blunders. Walter Licht encouraged me to think broadly about energy and transport, graciously shared his deep knowledge of mid-Atlantic history, and continually urged me write in engaging prose. Rob Kohler, as anyone familiar with Penn knows, is an incredible mentor whose insights and guidance have shaped so many of the department’s graduates. My six years of seminars, journal clubs, workshops, and long iv conversations with Rob have been among the intellectual highlights of my graduate school experience. This project is far richer thanks to Rob’s participation. The Penn History & Sociology of Science Department has been a wonderful place to be a graduate student. Every member of the faculty has offered support and encouragement through classes, workshops, and hallway chats. My fellow graduate students have been the best part of graduate school. It is difficult to imagine a more supportive, intellectually engaged, and fun group of people to spend six years with. Matt Hersch and Eric Hintz have been ideal office mates with whom I have shared the ups and downs of graduate school. Matt, Eric, Emily Pawley and Roger Turner have provided insightful feedback on several chapters. My dissertation and enjoyment of graduate school have been enhanced by the privilege of knowing all the department’s students including Josh Berson, Meggie Crnic, Deanna Day, Erica Dwyer, Andi Johnson, Jessica Martucci, Jon Milde, Joanna Radin, Corinna Schlombs, Jason Schwartz, Perrin Selcer, Kristoffer Whitney, and Damon Yarnell. Thanks to all of you for stimulating conversations, quizzo conquests, and adventures of all sorts. Several librarians and archivists have supported this project. My thanks to Chris Baer and the archival staff of the Hagley Museum & Library in Wilmington, DE; Susan Beates at the Drake Well Museum in Titusville, PA; Darwin Stapleton and the staff at the Rockefeller Archive Center in Sleepy Hollow, NY; Connie King and the staff at the Library Company of Philadelphia; and the many archivists who helped me find sources at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. I have been very fortunate to have generous financial and administrative support that has freed me to focus on my scholarship. Pat Johnson, Ernestine Williams, and all v the members of the Logan Hall business office have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to shield me and other graduate students from getting bogged down in university bureaucracy. The University of Pennsylvania provided generous support for five years of research as well as a Teece Summer Fellowship. Grants from the Hagley Museum & Library and Philadelphia Area Consortium for the History of Science supported research and travel expenses. The History & Sociology of Science Department provided travel funds and a research grant to purchase the maps appearing throughout this dissertation. A Governing America in a Global Era (GAGE) fellowship from the Miller Center of Public Affairs allowed me to dedicate this past year to writing. John McNeill of Georgetown University, my mentor through the GAGE program, went above and beyond the call of duty. His encouragement and advice have helped me think more broadly about the implications of my research and the audiences I am addressing. My thanks to Brian Balogh for managing the Miller Center program and making it such a fruitful experience. vi Abstract ENERGY LANDSCAPES: COAL CANALS, OIL PIPELINES, AND ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION WIRES IN THE MID-ATLANTIC, 1820-1930 Christopher Jones Ruth Schwartz Cowan Coal canals, oil pipelines, and electricity transmission wires transformed the built environment of the American mid-Atlantic region between 1820 and 1930. By transporting coal, oil, and electrons cheaply, reliably, and in great quantities, these technologies reshaped the energy choices available to mid-Atlantic residents. In particular, canals, pipelines, and wires created new energy landscapes: systems of transport infrastructure that enabled the ever-increasing consumption of fossil fuels. Energy Landscapes integrates history of technology, environmental history, and business history to provide new perspectives on how Americans began to use fossil fuels and the social implications of these practices. First, I argue that the development of transport infrastructure played critical, and underappreciated, roles in shaping social energy choices. Rather than simply responding passively to the needs of producers and consumers, canals, pipelines, and wires structured how, when, where, and in what quantities energy was used. Second, I analyze the ways fossil fuel consumption transformed the society, economy, and environment of the mid-Atlantic. I link the consumption of coal, oil, and electricity to the development of an urban and industrialized region, the transition from an organic to a mineral economy, and the creation of a society dependent on fossil fuel energy. vii Table of Contents Introduction . 1 Chapter 1: The Lehigh Canal and the Energy Landscape of Anthracite Coal, 1820-1860 . 32 Chapter 2: Coal Flows and Consumption: Creating a Mineral Economy in the Mid-Atlantic, 1820-1860 . 91 Chapter 3: The Tide-Water Pipeline and the Transport of Pennsylvania Petroleum . 158 Chapter 4: Piping Petroleum, Consuming Crude: Oil Flow and
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