Rep. Mike Kelly, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 16th District | Official U.S. House headshot
Rep. Mike Kelly, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 16th District | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, legislation led by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) to rename the Titusville, Pa., U.S. Post Office building after the father of the American oil industry, Edwin Drake, passed the full U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation now proceeds to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
The bill, H.R. 7417, would rename the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 135 W. Spring St., to the Edwin L. Drake Post Office Building.
“I am so pleased to see the Edwin Drake Post Office Building bill pass the U.S. House of Representatives. I would like to thank my colleagues for their support in honoring this American pioneer,” Rep. Kelly said. “Mr. Drake’s invention led to a revolution that transformed the world and put Titusville and the Oil Region in the history books. Now, I am proud to cement his legacy in our Nation’s history with this honor.”
In April, Rep. Kelly's legislation passed the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. In February, Rep. Kelly, joined by all 16 other Members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation, introduced bipartisan legislation to name the U.S. Post Office located at 135 W. Spring St in Titusville, Pennsylvania, as the “Edwin L. Drake Post Office Building”.
You can WATCH and DOWNLOAD Rep. Kelly's speech on the House floor HERE.
BACKGROUND
In 1859, Edwin Drake became the first person to use an iron pipe to drill for oil. His “drive pipe” quickly produced between 20-40 barrels daily using all the whiskey barrels in Titusville. Drake’s oil well started the Pennsylvania oil rush in 1859 and launched an economic revolution in Western Pennsylvania that would change economies worldwide.
Drake died in 1880 and rests in Titusville; the original tools used by Drake can be found at the Drake Well Museum in Titusville.
Rep. Kelly's bill would rename Titusville's U.S. Post Office to the Edwin L. Drake Post Office Building.
In 2022, Rep. Kelly passed similar legislation to rename the Butler, Pennsylvania Post Office after Butler County native and Civil War hero Andrew Gomer Williams.
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