Illinois Oil and Gas

The search for petroleum in Illinois occurred years before the boom days of the early 1900s. Wells were first drilled in 1865 near the town of Casey and then in other areas within the state for the next 40 years with very limited success. Renewed interest in the Casey area resulted in an oil discovery in 1905, followed by significant discoveries in Crawford and Lawrence Counties in 1906, pushing the state’s oil production that year to 4.4 million barrels. Towns near the oil fields, such as ...