John Shaw (oil driller)
John Shaw | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1831 Port Huron, Michigan, United States |
| Died | July 21, 1871 (aged 40) Petrolia, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, oil driller |
| Years active | Early 1860s–1871 |
| Known for | Discovering Canada's first oil gusher at Oil Springs, Ontario in 1862 |
John Shaw (circa 1831 – July 1871) was an American entrepreneur and oil driller, famed for uncovering Canada's inaugural oil gusher at Oil Springs, Ontario on January 16, 1862. This significant find sparked the first major oil rush in Enniskillen Township, drawing numerous investors and drillers to Oil Springs in pursuit of comparable fortunes.
The Shaw gusher
Likely born in Port Huron, Michigan, Shaw relocated to Kingston, Ontario before making his way to Enniskillen Township in the early 1860s. Following a failed drilling attempt elsewhere in Enniskillen, he commenced operations at Oil Springs in June 1861. Despite enduring seven months without results and facing financial hardship that led to bankruptcy by January 1862, Shaw remained determined. On January 16, just as he was about to abandon the effort, he struck oil after penetrating fifty feet of clay and 158 feet of rock.
The well erupted with a gusher propelling oil approximately 20 feet into the air, initially producing around 1,500 barrels per day before settling at about 670 barrels daily once pipes and tanks were installed to manage the flow. Although thousands of barrels were lost during the four days required to control the well, Shaw’s breakthrough incited a surge in drilling activity—resulting in 32 new wells by the close of 1862.
Overall, the Shaw well yielded roughly 35,000 barrels before production declined early in 1863, coinciding with the exhaustion of nearly 30 other Oil Springs wells. This widespread reduction marked the end of the area's first boom phase and shifted industry priorities toward managing supply and ensuring long-term viability.
Later life and death
On May 11, 1866, the Sarnia Observer reported that Shaw had initiated drilling a new well near his original gusher site in an effort to "give the old spot another good try."
Shaw passed away on July 21, 1871, in Petrolia, as noted by the Sarnia Observer. His obituary highlighted his financial difficulties following the decline of the Shaw Well, culminating in his death in poverty.
Shaw gusher controversy
Up until the 1940s, John Shaw was widely credited with discovering Canada’s first oil gusher. However, more recent research has frequently misattributed this accomplishment to Hugh Nixon Shaw, another oil producer from Enniskillen Township. This confusion originated from historian Robert Harkness’s 1940 publication Makers of Oil History: 1850–1880, which referenced early Toronto Globe articles mentioning Hugh Nixon Shaw. Those articles actually predated the gusher event and focused on Hugh Nixon Shaw’s distillation methods. When the Toronto Globe covered the gusher discovery in January 1862, it identified "Mr. Shaw, lately of Port Huron, Michigan," clearly corresponding to John Shaw. Furthermore, on February 5, 1862, the Globe explicitly acknowledged John Shaw as the discoverer. Despite Harkness’s mistake, his work influenced later historians and media who attributed Canada’s first oil gusher incorrectly to Hugh Nixon Shaw.