Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana COTM: STOLL OIL REFINING CO.

WOW...this came out of nowhere! As I was looking at the last station image I posted of my "favorite" station, I noticed something on top of the pole. Could this be a globe...30 feet in the air? I enlarged the picture and sure enough, another jeweled metal body, but the lens says "Viscoyl Motor Oil". Not a gasoline brand. What a great find!

Several "new discovery" globes have surfaced doing this article. So, let me remind you to check out October's "Petroleum Collectibles Monthy" magazine.

Like the fire fighting equipment previously mentioned, oil company bulk plants and maintenance yards do not at first appear interesting. But I think you will agree by the following images, that these "out of the public view" areas held their own treasures.



A pump "graveyard"? Let's hope these pumps are just awaiting repair instead of a discarding,




An extremely rare Erie 53 with a globe!!! Sitting in a maintenance yard. Probably used to refuel service trucks.

Gary:

Here's a couple of the Stoll's globes you showed that I re-created as art. The Ethyl version is a Best Guess since you didn't show any color images of it. If you know the actual colors - let me know and I'll change the art. But I thought everyone might enjoy them.





Later . . .

Jim




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www.T-waysGraphics.com

As the final days of this article looms, I will start closing with images of "later" style gas stations. As you may recall, in 1924 Stoll Oil had 10 gas stations in Louisville and 44 by 1941. By the 1952 buyout, over 1,000 outlets were selling Stoll's products in Kentucky, Southern Indiana and Ohio. The earliest stations were the classic 1920's styles, but as the company expanded, more competitor's "jobbers" signed on with Stoll, rebranding their existing stations to Stolll. Consequently, various station styles existed from country stores to full service stations.

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[This message has been edited by Gary Drye (edited 09-30-2005).]

FINIS

So ends the most enjoyable article I have ever written. I have written several articles over the years, but none have evoked an emotion as this one. Maybe it was pouring over hundreds of pages of documents and images. The personal journal of C.C. Stoll and his first hand experiences provided the passion. Heck, I have more Wilshire Polly items than I do Stoll, but this company definetly "struck a nerve". Anyway, I would like to thank Doc for the wonderful banner he made for the article and Rex Bensen for many images from his collection that I used. Rex probably has the largest Stoll collection in the country.

Last but not least, I want to thank the Stoll family, especially Carolyn and "Aunt" Martha, and Charles for providing the information that made this article possible, and I hope interesting...and for giving me the privilege of putting the article together.

I hope you enjoyed looking at the many images provided and maybe even learned a thing or two about this little known company. Please check out October's issue of Petroleum Collectibles Monthy for a mention of Stoll Oil and several "New Discoveries".

I will bring closure to this article with an email message I received from the Stoll Family which they wanted posted on Oldgas. Thank you.

Stoll Oil Family Response to
Gary Drye’s Oil Company of the Month
feature article on Stoll Oil Refining Co.

First of all, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Gary Drye for such a well written and concise history of The Stoll Oil Refining Company, and how and why it was started by our Grandfather/Great-Grandfather, Charles Christian Stoll. Gary did a masterful job of taking all the raw materials and photographs and turning them into a very thoughtful and gracious condensed history of our Family's legacy. It was a pleasure working with him by answering questions, which evoked some fond reminiscences.

We must also extend our gratitude to all members of OldGas.com for your interest in the lore of the petroleum industry. You have been Gary’s primary inspiration for providing such an interesting presentation.

As you can imagine, for those of us in the Stoll Clan, this COTM has been an odyssey into our family heritage. Stoll Oil was a vibrant company, some limited knowledge of which we have lived with for much of our lives. Charles C. Stoll was a man of deep faith, practicing his ethical Christian convictions which caused career changes, thus altering the course of the future of the Stoll Family. Gratefully, we have found this article to be a splendid addition to our Family's historical record.

(signed)
Martha Stoll Ballard
Charles Stoll Jr.
Carolyn Stoll Bolt

Awesome Gary..just Awesome..well done and many Thanks to the Stoll Family as well. Thanks for a great presentation..enjoyed it immensly.

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Hubba: GAS GEEK , OIL FREAK and humble moderator

Excellent job Gary!!!!!