This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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This photo was taken of the city of Signal Hill, California in 1923. Located near Los Angeles and Long Beach, Signal Hill was a part of the Long Beach Oil Field and home to one of the nation's most well known oil wells - The Alamitos No. 1. The numerous oil derricks that popped up over the area earned the city its nickname of "Porcupine Hill." In total, the Long Beach Oil Field has produced more than one billion barrels of oil.
