Standard Oil: The First 125 Years

Author: Wayne Henderson, Scott Benjamin
List Price: $19.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0760300860
Publisher: Motorbooks International (June, 1996)
Sales Rank: 153,341
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Customer Reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5
Loved it...
This book has a short history of the original Standard Oil, and more extensive histories of each of the "baby Standards" since the breakup. Here, for the curious, is the history of who bought whom, who merged with whom, and what brands they used over the years.

Best of all are the photos of old gas stations, signs, road maps, and collectables. I think this book is more aimed at nostalgia buffs and antique collectors than at somebody with an academic or business interest in the history of Standard Oil. Still, for the latter it would be a good introduction.

It covers the history of the "baby Standards" from the 1911 breakup up until about 1996, which means it is already out of date. Since 1996, Exxon (Standard of New Jersey) has merged with Mobil (Standard of New York), Chevron (Standard of California) has merged with Texaco, Conoco (the Rocky Mountain branch of Standard) has merged with Phillips, and BP has aquired Amoco (Standard of Indiana), Sohio (Standard of Ohio), and Arco (Standard's old Atlantic Refining). It seems the history of Standard Oil has yet to be fully written, almost 100 years after the breakup.

All in all, a fun book. As a child, I always wondered on family trips why the Chevron stations would be branded Standard in some states, the Amocos branded Standard in others, why Sohio would be Sohio in one state and Boron in another, and why Esso would use the Enco brand in some states. Now, I know.


Rating: 4 out of 5
Standard Oil
This book was quite good. I read it oily

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