Titusville in Crawford County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Pennzoil & South Penn
The Pennzoil brand comes from a long history of foundings and mergers that date back to 1886 when local men Henry Suhr, Samuel Justus, and Louis Walz founded the Penn Refining Company
In 1914, Penn Refining merged with Germania Refining Company, renaming the company Penn-American in 1917. Seven years later, Penn-American merged with the Oil City Oil and Grease Company to form the Pennzoil Corporation.
South Penn Oil Company was created in 1889 by Standard Oil in response to what Standard perceived as a serious threat from the Producers Protective Association to its supply of crude in the Appalachian Field. South Penn was led by Titusville oilman Joseph Seep.
By the end of 1891, the firm had purchased several oil producers including Union Oil and Midland Oil -- both owned by the McKinney brothers of Titusville.
South Penn bought 51% interest in Pennzoil in 1925, increasing their ownership to 84% in 1953, and subsequently 100% in 1955.
Pennzoil and South Penn's Corporate Headquarters were located in Oil City at the Drake Building until 1965
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 41° 37.088′ N, 79° 40.271′ W. Marker is in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in Crawford County. Marker is on Smock Boulevard (Pennsylvania Route 8), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Titusville PA 16354, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Union 76 Gasoline (here, next to this marker); Texaco (here, next to this marker); Spindletop (here, next to this marker); Sterling Oil (here, next to this marker); Quaker State Motor Oil (here, next to this marker); Gulf (here, next to this marker); Penn-Drake Motor Oils (here, next to this marker); Sun Oil Co./Sunoco (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Titusville.
Additional keywords. Petroleum
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2019. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 935 times since then and 81 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 16, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. 2. submitted on May 17, 2019, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
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