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The history of the Freedom Oil Works Company dates back to twenty years after the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania. Dr. Steuben A. Craig, a practicing physician, H.S. McConnel, an attorney, and George S. Griscom, a Pennsylvania railroad official organized the Freedom Oil Works, limited. The first refinery was built at Remington near what is now Conway, the site of the refinery now being occupied by a part of the Conway yards. In the year 1879 little was known of the science of refining oil and the possible products of Pennsylvania crude. Dr. Craig's interest in the possibilities of the subject, and while handicapped by lack of laboratory equipment, located his test tubes on the bank of the Ohio river and conducted tests. Dr. Craig was forced to decide between his experiments and the practice of his profession, and the demands made by his patients finally necessitated the sale of his holding to August J. Minke, then a clerk in his office.
Mr. Minke gave to the concern all of the energy of an enthusiastic youth and soon required control of the company and purchased the site of the Excelsior Refining Company, whose plant had been destroyed by fire. This property was near the western end of the Borough of Freedom, and upon the ground is now located the plant and offices of the Company. Mergers were frequent in the early days and the Freedom Oil Works Company merged with the Globe refining company with general offices in Philadelphia, then acquired the Economy refinery at the foot of Eighth Street, Freedom owned by Shilton and Mellon. An offer was received from the Standard Oil Company of New York, but Mr. Minke refused to part with his holdings and the Globe Company passed into the hands of the Standard. Mr. Minke retaining the Freedom plant in exchange for his shares of the Globe Company. In 1889 Joseph W. Craig obtained control of the refinery and organized the Freedom Oil Works Company with John J. Minke, president; A.J. Minke as vice-president and treasurer; William H. Baker, secretary and Charles Mohr superintendent.
Resignation of Mr. Minke as president in 1890 was followed by the election of the principal owner, Joseph W. Craig to that office and he successfully conducted the business until his death in 1912. Following his death Perce L. Craig of New Castle was elected president which office he held through 1929. A.J. Minke has held the title of vice-president since the organization of the Company, and Charles Mohr until his death in 1919 held the office of superintendent. H.J. Bischoffberger, one of the incorporators, had been continuously in the capacity of refinery management.
The Freedom Oil Works Company was one of the largest independent refineries of the district and in addition to the plant in Freedom, with a capacity of 2,000 barrels of Pennsylvania crude per day, owned and operated a large refinery at Coraopolis. The latter having a capacity of 1,000 barrels daily, is used almost exclusively in the production of various brands of Freedom Perfect Motor Oil and Freedom Vulcan Motor Oil.
265 large capacity tank cars are operated by the Company in supplying their various distributing branches. These branches were located at the following points of the Tri-state district: Ashtabula, Canton, E. Liverpool, Salem, Salenville, Steubenville, Warren, Youngstown, Ohio, Fairmont & Wheeling W. Va. Glassport, Greensburg, Johnstown, New Castle, New Kensington, Pittsburgh, Sharon and Uniontown, Penna. 200 large automobile tank wagon trucks were used in the distribution of Freedom products from the various bulk distributing branches to the hundreds of retail distributors through-out the territory.