1901 · Milestone
Spindletop gusher — modern petroleum era
Anthony Lucas's January 1901 blowout at Spindletop, Texas, proved massive-scale oil production from Gulf Coast salt domes—launching Texaco, Gulf Oil, and the industrial petroleum era.
Historical era
Coal ascendancy (1885–1949)
Coal powered railroads, factories, and—after the 1880s—rapidly expanding electric utilities.