Standard Oil Company
Named in 13 stories. Back to all names
- Jul 8, 1888Seattle Promoters Pitch a Land Boom in 1888Developers were promising that Seattle would become the 'Mistress of the Pacific,' enticing investors with visions of massive industry, steel mills, and skyrocketing real estate values.Seattle, WA
- Jul 22, 1888The Boomtown Hype of 1888A real estate advertisement masquerading as news paints a picture of a city on the precipice of industrial greatness, promising that Seattle will soon become the 'Queen City of the Pacific.'Puget Sound, Seattle, WA
- Jan 20, 1889The Tinderbox of the Waterfront: Fire Chief Warns of Seattle’s Oil-Fueled DoomChief Collins warns that Standard Oil’s wooden warehouses along the waterfront are a 'match away' from destroying the city, while overcrowded lodging houses threaten the poor with similar fates.First Street, Seattle, WA
- Mar 22, 1889The Oil Men’s Last Stand: Seattle’s Battle Over Fire Safety and Corporate PowerIn March 1889, a proposed ordinance to ban oil storage within city limits sparked a fierce standoff between the Board of Trade and powerful petroleum interests. While the city pushed for safety, the oil dealers argued the rules were discriminatory and economically impossible, setting the stage for a legal battle that would define Seattle’s industrial future.Seattle, WA
- Apr 9, 1895The Octopus Comes to Seattle: Standard Oil Raises the Price of LightCoal oil and benzine prices jumped in Seattle after Standard Oil was reported to have crushed its last Pacific Coast rival, W. P. Fuller & Co.Seattle, WA
- Apr 14, 1895The Telephone Monopoly Seattle Refused to BreakA national syndicate promised cheap telephones and a rival to Bell. Seattle's aldermen said no, and the city stayed in the Sunset Telephone Company's grip.Seattle, WA
- Jun 1, 1895A Rockefeller Tells Seattle It Is Destined to Be the New York of the PacificVisiting Cleveland iron magnate F. Rockefeller—brother of John D.—says the harbor beats New York's and the ore is right here, if only the city will manufacture instead of import and steer clear of the boomers who killed Wichita.Seattle, WA
- Aug 5, 1899The Sunnyside Canal Water DisputeFarmers from the Dunkard colony in North Yakima square off against the government, demanding a fix for their water rights after a season of devastating crop failure.Sunnyside Canal, Yakima, WA
- Aug 11, 1899A Domestic Dispute Escalates to Official InterventionA mother locks her son out of the house, prompting a police response in Seattle.11th Avenue, Seattle, WA
- Sep 7, 1904The Standard Oil Monopoly Comes to TacomaA secret land grab on the tide-flats marks the arrival of a massive industrial alliance between the Standard Oil company and transcontinental railroads.Tacoma, WA
- Apr 2, 1914The Great Gasoline Shift: Kennewick Becomes Standard Oil’s New HubAs the Columbia River town prepares to replace Pasco as the central distribution point for gasoline in the region, locals watch the logistics of early 20th-century commerce reshape their identity.Kennewick, WA
- May 4, 1916A Gasser, a Picnic, and a Promise: Kennewick Bets on Oil and GasDrillers pause to case off 400 feet of water, 85 people picnic at the well, and a Yakima promoter promises a franchise — and maybe oil — by summer.Kennewick, WA
- Sep 15, 1916The Arrival of Big Oil in Coulee CityA new $11,000 facility brings bulk gasoline storage to the region, promising cheaper prices and modern efficiency.Coulee City, WA