Standard Oil Bulk Plant, Baker County, Oregon
Collection of George Gildersleeve
Remembrances from Chet Smith, Baker City Oregon
Standard Oil Company of California
The Standard Oil Co., of California built the first
petroleum bulk plant in Baker City about 1920. Same location it is
now operated by Bob Black of Union Oil.
The manager of the Standard plant was R.N. Bostwick. He and one
helper, Andy Bond, were employee's of Standard Oil Co.
The plant had one horse drawn tank wagon, approximately three
hundred gallon capacity, Bond drove the team and tank wagon around
town delivering gasoline (Red Crown) and kerosene (Pearl Oil) and a
lubricating oil called Zerolene. We had no service stations and if
the owner of a motor vehicle needed gasoline, Andy would draw from
the tank wagon into five gallon buckets he poured into the vehicle
with the help of a funnel.
Kerosene (Pearl Oil) was the most prominent product and it was sold
in wooden boxes each holding two five gallon cans containing Pearl
Oil.
The tank wagon also had bulk Pearl Oil. Most car owners had a
fifteen gallon drum in their garages, where Andy delivered Zerolene
Motor Oil.
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There was, early on, one place that dispensed retail gasoline
located at the Salvation Army location used to be a building called
The Implement House. Out front they had a hand crank gas pump.
In the mid 30's, Standard Oil changed the operation of the bulk
plant from company operation to consignment distributor.
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Walt Gildersleeve was the distributor. The horses and tank wagon
were gone. We now had tank trucks and a few gas stations were
springing up. The era of the automobile was born and the service
station became very popular.
About 1942, we had approximately thirty places in Baker where you
could buy gas. We had ten bulk plants and distributors and one take
- off terminal for the Salt Lake - Pasco pipe line.
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Now we have two distributors, the take off terminal is gone and the operation of the pipe line is all automatic.
George took the pictures, Chet wrote the story and Gary put it all together. THANKS!