But wait, there's more!!!

Despite successful production, PCO had struggled through the years. As a result, PCO agreed to be acquired by Sandard Oil Co. (Iowa) in 1900, while still retaining their name. Many changes soon followed. 1901 brought a new refinery on the San Fransico Bay. Standard's tanker fleet started to grow. A new pipline was laid from Kern River and Coalinga, to the new refinery in Richmond.
In 1906, Iowa Standard and PCO consolidated to create Standard Oil Company (California). The "new" company increased marketing and production in both gasoline sales, which doubled between 1906 and 1910, and lubricants, marketed under the Calumet, Petrolite, Ruddy Harvester, Zone, and Zeroline labels.

Zerolene, named for its ability to flow at zero degrees, was probably the best known of these early lubricants.

Being revolutionary in their marketing, Seattle sales manager, John McLean, opened, what is believed to be, the world's first "Service Station" on a June morning in 1907 at the corner of Holgate and East Marginal Way. A 30 gallon water tank was attatched to a platform, and gravity fed from a storage tank from across the street. The gasoline, was dispensed through a garden hose, and a simple glass guage measured he amount put into the tank. Although most of the fuel was dispensed into a can, which was later poured through a funnel, with a chamois skin filter. A canvas canopy, a planked driveway, and a few shelves, to display the Zerolene oils and greases, and the first "Service Station" was built, offering none other that Red Crown Gasoline.



By 1914, 34 filling stations were in operation in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. By 1924, the number had reached almost 700 stations.

All of this agressive marketing became very important, as a decision, set down in May, 1911 seperated the Standard Oil conglomerates. Such is the beginning of the Standard Oil Company (Socal). The company that we now know as CHEVRON.


[This message has been edited by Thunder (edited 08-03-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Thunder (edited 08-06-2005).]