In 1857 Edwin L. Drake is sent to investigate an oil seep in a creek near Titusville, Pennsylvania. Overcoming many other obstacles, Drake's innovation to shield the well from water entry by using a drive pipe finally allows drilling to proceed until striking oil in August, 1859. His perseverance yields many barrels of oil a day, and immediately brings about the start of the oil industry.
| Visual Effects | Jack R. Glass | Visual Effects |
| Directing | Arthur Pierson | Director |
| Production | Roland D. Reed | Producer |
| Writing | Norman Reilly Raine | Writer |
| Editing | Thomas Neff | Editor |
| Art | Eugène Lourié | Production Design |
| Production | Guy V. Thayer Jr. | Executive Producer |
| Camera | Charles P. Boyle | Director of Photography |
| Sound | Alexander Laszlo | Original Music Composer |