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In1874, four men set out from the County of Lambton to try their luck drilling for oil in distant lands. They started an exodus that lasted into the 1940s. As word about the experience and skill of the Canadian oil men spread across the globe, more than 400 International Drillers left home in search of oil.
People flooded into the area around Black Creek, now known as Oil Springs, after the first commercial oil field was established there in 1858. An oil boom followed in the 1860s, but as production slowed down the oil men started searching for new opportunities. The International Drillers travelled around the world, leaving their wives, children, parents and friends behind to try and make their fortunes and became some of the best-travelled people of their time. They faced danger and excitement, putting their knowledge and Canadian equipment to use in almost ninety countries.
Explore the map below to delve into the stories of the International Drillers and uncover some of the letters, photographs, and souvenirs that they brought back.
