John Washington Steele

John Washington Steele (born in Sheakleyville, Pennsylvania, 1843; died in Fort Crook, Nebraska, in December, 1920), also known as Coal Oil Johnny,^[1] was one of the first oil millionaires acquiring their wealth from the oil discovered in Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century. In 1864, soon after wealth came to him through inheritance from the McClintocks' oil, the orphan John Steele left the farm which he had inherited from his foster or adoptive family, the McClintocks, and began a lavish and picturesque life, rapidly spending his way through his fortune. He was often seen in Philadelphia riding in his carriage with "the picture of an oil derrick, an oil tank, and a flowing well" painted on its doors.^[2] Steele eventually sold his farm to William H. Wickham.^[3]^[4]^[5] In 1862, he married Eleanor J. Moffett, who survived him by six years.^[6] After his lavish life-style, Steele fell into bankruptcy. He shuffled around, moving to the Mid-West, eventually becoming a railroad station agent.^[7] According to his autobiography, written in 1901, after his fall he was hounded by the public and the press and became a recluse to avoid them.

Legacy

"The Ballad of Coal Oil Johnny" by Angela Nuzzo
There are numerous stories that still circulate in Pennsylvania about him.^[8]
Aites, Richard W. 2007. The Legend of Coal Oil Johnny. iUniverse: Lincoln, Neb. [Fictional account]
His house has been preserved and moved.
According to his autobiography, a brand of soap was named after him, much to his dislike.

References

http://www.hagerspeachbasket.com/John_Washington_Steele_Room.htm gives the wife's name as Ellen Moffitt.
Anon. 1920. ""COAL OIL JOHNNY," ONCE GREAT SPENDER, DEAD; John W. Steele of Pennsylvania Oil Fame Fifty Years Ago Dies a Railroad Station Agent," [New York Times obituary] http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9501E2D6173AE532A25751C0A9679C946095D6CF
Steele, J. W. 1901. <ital>Coal Oil Johnny. Story of His Career as Told by Himself. Press of Hill Publishing Company: New York, 211 pages. Reprinted 1994 by M. A. Mong Publishers and 2006 by Oil Region Alliance: Oil City, PA. Available online at https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7205126M/Coal_oil_Johnny.
Hoover, Emily. 2009. Review of Steele's autobiography. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:LBKqgXosjBIJ:www.oil150.com/assets/pdf/volume-1-issue-8.pdf+%22Coal+oil+johnny%22+steele+oil&hl=ko&gl=kr&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjVxVgjY01WS_CdnAjoNia5mCUvfTUaq3dqtNFaZE1fgyZPZ1rdRaKNxsoVCgUc5E8nqxXXvK2BpQVmK56IXMCJO2k2V3MypZNsnM3QdgiblebXjjQjYeit9y9T8qBh6hIolFyx&sig=AHIEtbQQvXLKkOOZQ46zvpM5Z66-x8dKwg
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D03EFDE103EE733A25754C0A9679C946797D6CF
from the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, 1937 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19370901&id=_8oaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EkwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3365,2138449

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