Headlight oil is double refined kerosene. Originally
produced from coal shale it was originally called coal oil. Headlight
oil is a term used in the 1870s up till about 1920. Generally the oil was used for heating oil but
also for lighting including outside street lights. No doubt it was used in buggy lanterns or
headlights, thus the name. It had a
higher combustible temperature than other heating and illuminating oils of the
time . Usually rated at 150 or 175 degrees
as opposed to coal oil at 110 degrees. It was used on the railroad for illumination for both the marker lights and the main headlight about 1875.
1906 ad from Courier newspaper Salisbury MD Headlight oil at 12 cents a gallon
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