Abraham Pineo Gesner

Abraham Pineo Gesner was a Canadian geologist and chemist who is credited with inventing kerosene, a type of fuel derived from coal, oil shale, or petroleum. He was born in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, on May 2, 1797, to Henry and Sarah Gesner, who were farmers and lumberjacks. He had a limited formal education, but he developed a love for reading and writing poetry. He published his first poem, "The Prince's Lodge", in 1838, when he was 17 years old. He wrote over 30 poems in his lifetime, mostly on themes of nature, patriotism, and religion. He also won a poetry contest at the Nova Scotia Industrial Exhibition in 1854. Gesner's main research focus was on geology and mineralogy, and he published several books and reports on the geology and natural history of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He was appointed as the provincial geologist of New Brunswick in 1838, and he conducted a geological survey of the province for five years. He discovered the mineral albertite, a type of asphalt, in Albert County, New Brunswick, in 1849, and he claimed the mining rights for it. He also discovered the mineral dawsonite, a type of carbonate, in Nova Scotia in 1863, and named it after his friend and colleague John William Dawson. ¹ Gesner's most important contribution was his invention of kerosene, which revolutionized the lighting industry and paved the way for the modern petroleum industry. He was inspired by his observation of how the Mi'kmaq people used natural gas seeps for lighting and cooking, and he experimented with various methods of distilling and refining coal, oil shale, and petroleum to produce a clear, odourless, and inexpensive liquid fuel. He succeeded in producing a sample of kerosene from coal in 1846, and he patented his process in 1850. He also established the Kerosene Gaslight Company in 1850, and the North American Kerosene Gas Light Company in 1854, to market his product. He also sent samples of his kerosene to various countries, such as the United States, England, France, and Germany, and received positive feedback and orders. He also wrote a book, A Practical Treatise on Coal, Petroleum, and Other Distilled Oils, in 1861, to explain his invention and its applications. ¹ Gesner died of pneumonia in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 29, 1864, at the age of 66. He was buried in Camp Hill Cemetery. He is widely regarded as a pioneer and a benefactor of humanity, and his name is commemorated in several places, such as the Gesner Museum of Natural History in Saint John, New Brunswick, the Gesner Medal of the Canadian Geological Association, and the Gesner Park in Chipman Corner, Nova Scotia. ¹