Gasoline used to be cheaper than water, so abundant that it had to be poured into the river… Let’s find out the unbelievable facts about the history of the oil and gas industry

But before long, the oil being pumped up began to have value. At one point, a barrel of oil was worth half the price of a barrel of whiskey, which was reused to hold it. To this day, 42-gallon whiskey casks remain the unit of measure for the oil and gas industry, even if no actual barrels are in use anymore. Pictured is Woodford oil well with whiskey barrels next to it, 1861.