Socony Vacuum - Do You Remember?

SOCONY VACUUM MAIN OFFICE-BUFFALO STREET, OLEAN, N.Y.
IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORKED AT THE SOCONY VACUMN OIL COMPANY AT OLEAN, N.Y.

DO YOU REMEMBER/MICHAEL C. DUGAN that handsome white-haired gentleman who was always ready to lend a helping hand to his fellow workman, and just as ready to play a joke on them too! Mike started with the Company in Titusville, Pa. July 1, 1876 where he drove barrels for $2.00 a day. When Wm Irish was transferred to Olean, Mike's father and Mike's four brothers and himself, came with him. After a time in the cooperage department, he was chosen to take M. s. Simpson's place in the shipping department. At that time the office was in charge of Capt. Green, formerly of Boston. Later he advanced to foreman, which position he held until his retirement July 1, 1930. Mike refused to take it easy after his retirement, and up until his death on August 12, 1943, at the age of 80, he was employed in the Post Office at Niagara University.

DO YOU REMEMBER / AUGUST J. GOEBEL, or 'Gabe'� as he was known to his fellow workers, was born February 27, 1860 and started work at the Vacuum Oil company's Rochester Works January 19th, 1874. At that time the Company's main offices and laboratory were also located in Rochester. Mr. H. B. Everest was President and his son Charles served as Superintendent of Works. Mr. Goebel used to tall us that Mr. Everest, being a very religious man, always insisted that the stills be shut down on Sundays. On Thanksgiving Day the plant was shut down, and the married men were given a turkey and the single men received two dollars. Holidays were very few in those days, and it was thought quite a thing to close for Thanksgiving Day. At that time all the buildings in the Rochester Works were of wood construction, however, in the Fall of 1875 the still house burned, and this was replaced with a brick still house and pump house. There was also built at that time a 60-barrel still, and Mr. Goebel helped Mr. Everest in the operation of it, working twelve hours a day for $1.00.
The building of this 60-barrel still was the beginning of the Company's expansion. The following year two more 60-bbl. Stills were put up and a larger one started. So Gabe was really in at the very beginning of the Vacuum Oil Company, and he used to tell stories about it all. In 1880 he was given charge of all distillation, and in 1892 was transferred to the Olean Refinery to take charge of distilling, as well as the loading and unloading of tank cars. He also had charge of dewaxing plant when that was built. At the time of his retirement October 1, 1931, he was Foreman of the Distillation Department. Mr. Goebel died September 22nd, 1943 at the age of 83.

DO YOU REMEMBER /HARRY H. ENGLISH was born April 16, 1877 and went to work for the National Transit Company in June 1899. In 1909 he was transferred to the Vacuum Oil Company, being Engineer and telegraph Operator at our Duke Center Station. In 1919 he was transferred to the Olean Office in charge of Personnel, which position he held until 1923, when the Crude Oil Department was inaugurated, with Harry as the foreman in charge, which position he held until his retirement January 1, 1941. That was the Company's first venture into the crude gathering business in this area, and it was Harry who arranged for the rights of way, signed up the producers, built the various pump stations, and laid the first lines, starting with the Bolivar line in 1924.
His son, Harold, also works for the Company and is now an Engineer at our Duke Center Station.

Many of you probably remember the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of the Drake Well at Titusville, and the contest held in connection with it for "The Homeliest Man in the Oil Fields".� Immediately Harry with his red hair and freckles came to our minds, and thinking to play a joke on him in retaliation for the ones he was always pulling on us, we all voted many times for our man. Of course Harry won the contest hand down, and we all chortled with glee, but he took the whole thing in his stride, and seemed inclined to think the joke was on us, especially when he pocketed the nice prize that went to the winner.
Harry H. English died October 25, 1943, at the age of 66, but his former associates still miss him, for he was good company and could spin a fine tale, and all concede that 'his bark was worse than is bite.'�

DO YOU REMEMBER/ E. H. WRIGHT is the one of the Company executives who began at the bottom of the ladder, starting as an office boy in the Rochester Works in 1892. One of his early responsibilities was the blowing of the whistle which started the day's operations. This made it necessary for him to be on the job from 7 in the morning until after 6 in the evening. He was later transferred to the Harness Oil Department, than an important division of the Company. His work there attracted attention and he was transferred to the Compounding Dept. and later to the laboratory and other departments. In 1899 Mr. G. W. Hooker, then superintendent at Olean, asked him to come to Olean, and in 1900 he was made assistant superintendent. In 1903, when Mr. Hooker went to Europe to take charge of foreign refineries, Mr. Wright succeeded him as superintendent. He was a member of the committee appointed to select a location in the planning and layout of the plant. He was a member of the Manufacturing Committee and also of the Research Committee of the Vacuum Oil Company.
Mr. Wright was a great golf enthusiast, thinking nothing of playing thirty-six holes on a hot afternoon at the Bartlett Country Club.
Although he retired in 1930, Mr. Wright was still a busy man in 1948, serving as bank director, and sitting on the board of several large oil and gas companies in this vicinity.

DO YOU REMEMBER /THE SHORTELL BROTHERS, HAROLD AND JACK. who decided to quit the oil business, and try their hand at watch repair. Both boys saw service in World War II, and they have decided to avail themselves of the GI educational plan and go back to school for a while.
Harold came to work at the Olean Refinery in September 1941 and entered the service in August 1942. He came back to work in July 1944 and worked in the Electrical Dept. until October 1947 when he left to take a course in Watch Repair.
Jack worked here for two or three summers, and then came permanently in September 1937. He entered service in December 1941 and came back to the refinery in august 1945. He decided this summer (1948) to join his brother Harold, so he left us in July to take the course also.
The school is located in Albany, MO.- near the Oklahoma boarder-and the boys say it is a wonderful part of the country. That leaves their Dad, Mike Shortell, the only one of the family working at the refinery. Mike is foreman in charge of No. 3 Works, which includes the F-W Crude Still and the Chlorex Plant. Mike has been at the Olean Refinery for forty-two years, and his father, John Shortell, was retired in 1930 with 47 years service.

DO YOU REMEMBER/ JOE HENRIETTA the electrician Foreman at the Olean refinery, retired January 1, 1948 after thirty years of service. Joe came to work at the Olean Plant on September 20, 1911 and when Walter Schrader was transferred to the Paulsboro Refinery in 1916, Joe was made Electrical Foreman, which position he held until his retirement. Joe had been very active in all plant affairs, and served as President of the Twenty Year Club, and S/V Association. He was always one of the chief organizers and workers on all the social activities, and deserves special mention for the wonderful job he had done at the Children's Christmas Parties. Joe had many iron in the fire outside the plant, having been one of the leading lights in Burleigh's Band for many years, and also was a member of the Olean Symphony. He was active in fraternal affairs also, and served ten years as President of the local Eagles Club.

DO YOU REMEMBER /EDWARD A. BARTEN was born in Springville, N. Y. on August 27, 1887. Ed was known throughout the plant as 'The Springville Barn Builder.'� He was employed May 11, 1914 at Carpenter, becoming Carpenter Foreman August 4, 1916, and on January 1, 1945, he was made Assistant Master Mechanic.
One of the best know and best likes men in the refinery, Ed was always the ring-leader in the plant social activities, particularly the Twenty Year Club Outings and Christmas partied, and was always ready to serve on committees and lend a helping hand at every gathering. Ed had a fine voice, and he enjoyed joining in the music at the Club House parties, but most of all he like to play a joke on his friends, and the madder they got the harder Ed would laugh--but they couldn't stay mad long, and in a few minutes they were again the best of friends, Ed had a long illness, and had come back to work full time just a short while before his death. On his last birthday, his friends held a surprise party at the Plant cafeteria, and though Ed was not feeling too well at that time he got a great kick out of the surprise.
Ed was a faithful, conscientious worker for thirty-two years in the refinery,. One of his duties was the directing of the Riggers, who were responsible for the lifting of all high and heavy equipment around the entire plant, and thanks to his careful planning and supervision, things always went up as they were supposed to.
He had many hobbies, being a bowler, a great hunting and fishing enthusiast, and also had a compete carpenter shop at home. He and Mike Welch built summer homes on adjoining land near Smethport, Pa., and Ed always planned that after he retired he and Mike would spend a lot of time there doing a little gardening, hunting, etc.
Ed died on September 4, 1948 at his summer home at Norwich, Pa.

DO YOU REMEMBER/ELMER BEARDSLEY who was born March 10, 1879 in Limestone, N. Y. He came to work in the Machine Shop of the Olean Refinery on November 9, 1903 and upon the retirement of Mr. Kerschner in March 1931, he became foreman of the Machine shop. He was placed on annuity January 1, 1941. He died suddenly on October 5, 1948.

DO YOU REMEMBER/ DAVID F. RENSHAW who joined the Vacuum Oil Company at Rochester, N. Y. in 1912 following his graduation from the University of Rochester and a post graduate course in Chemistry at Columbia University. He rose to position of Assistant Superintendent of the Company's Rochester Refinery. With the closing of the Rochester Plant in 1929, he was transferred to the Olean Refinery, where he was made Assistant Superintendent.
His major interest at Olean was in the process end of the refining operations, particularly with reference to the chemical side of the products, the maintenance of quality, and improvements or economies possible at any of the various units throughout the plant. He was also unusually skilled in costs and yields, and much of his time was spent in supervising the preparation of studies on costs of operation o various units, and the advisability of eliminating certain equipment and substituting more modern devices. This applied particularly to such units as the installation of the Chlorex Plant, and the studies made in justification of the dismantling of the Centrifuge Plant and the substitution of the present B-K Dewaxing Plant.
Mr. Renshaw was one of the best liked men ever employed in this refinery; he was always willing to help anyone who brought their problems to him. He was never known to say an unkind word about anyone; and was always extremely mild in his manner, remaining cool and collected even under most extreme strain cause by troubles or failures of parts of the units under his supervision. During the last few years he spent with us he was not well but he carried on is work even though under great obstacles. He died February 24, 1944 at the age of 54.

DO YOU REMEMBER/ DAVID H. MATTHEWS was born November 12, 1890 and came to work at the Olean Refinery on November 12, 1890. At the time of his retirement he held the position of Foreman of Tanners Grease Manufacturing and L. O. Treating. Dave was one of the first men in the Olean Refinery to enter World War I, leaving Olean in April 1917 with the Company I. He precipitated in several battles in France, and was severely wounded in one of them, returning to work in February of 1919.
Dave spent a great deal of time on his various summer homes. Years ago he had a cottage at Riverhurst which he later floated across the Allegany River and moved to Cuba Lake. After a while he sold that cottage and built the present 'Dunrovin.'�
On his last day at the refinery in 1948, the foremen gathered in the Conference Room to say their farewells.

DO YOU REMEMBER/ W. ROBERT WAGNER came to work at the Vacuum on October 13, 1919 from the Pennsylvania Railroad. He had spent twenty-five years with the Vacuum Oil Company, during which time he worked in different departments of the office.. He was once head of the Crude Oil Department for several years, and at the time of his death he held the position of Secretary to the Superintendent.
All his life, Bob had a fondness for things military. In the spring of 1917 when he was only eighteen, he enlisted in Company I, 108th Infantry Division of the National Guard. He served overseas in France and Belgium with the 108th Infantry, participating in three major engagements: Ypres-Lys, Aubre-Guernon, and Defensive Sector. He received his honorable discharge March 31, 1919. In 1941 it was Bob who organized in Olean, Olean's unit of Company I, 74th Infantry, New York Guard, in which he was commissioned Captain. From its organization in 1941 until the time of his death December 19, 1944, Bob spent some time nearly every evening at the Armory. It was no small measure due to his retiring zeal and enthusiasm that our local unit of the New York Guard sent so many well trained men into the Armed Forces of World War II, not to mention their well organized set-up for Civilian Defense in Olean.
At the time of his death Bob was Supervisor for the Third Ward.

DO YOU REMEMBER/ THE WASHINGTON BROTHERS. George Washington begun employment with the Vacuum in February 18, 1943. For the last six years he worked in the Package Department of the Olean Refinery. He was a very quiet and the famous monicker that was rightfully his, was taken in stride. He built himself a very lovely home and was the father of five children.
Joe Washington, his younger brothers, had been in the employ of the refinery for three and one half years in 1949. Joe spent over four years in the U. S. Army.
Andrew, the oldest of the trio, was a welder in the Mechanical Department. He begun his service in 1918. Andy is the father of ten children.

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