Lincolnville Nebraska Oil Well Real Photo Postcard

The Lincolnville Oil + Gas Co. postcard captures a quintessential scene from the early 20th-century American oil boom, likely in Kansas, where independent companies rapidly developed petroleum reserves. The image displays a traditional wooden drilling derrick, a prominent steam boiler used to power the drilling equipment, and associated support structures, characteristic of oil exploration technology during the period. Such operations were instrumental in transforming the economic landscape of many rural areas into centers of industrial activity.

This era marked a significant phase in the development of the oil and gas industry, fueling the nation's demand for energy and propelling the growth of related sectors like transportation and manufacturing. The rudimentary yet effective technology seen, including the robust timber derrick and steam-powered machinery, represents the standard for crude oil extraction before the widespread adoption of more mechanized and steel-based drilling methods that would become prevalent later in the century.