Oil Tank Wagon for Standard Oil Company, circa 1892

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Artifact Overview

By the time Standard Oil ordered this wagon in 1892, petroleum products were common in the rural and urban United States. The wagon has three separate compartments -- for kerosene, for lubricating oil, and for gasoline. As late as the 1920s, horse-drawn wagons were still the primary means for moving these products from the railroad depot to the customer.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Wagon

Date Made

circa 1892

Creator Notes

Made for Standard Oil Company by the Morrison Brothers Company of Dubuque, Iowa

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

65.13.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Standard Oil Company.

Material

Cloth
Iron (Metal)
Paint (Coating)
Wood (Plant Material)

Color

Black (Color)
Dark green
Red

Dimensions

Height: 103 in
Width: 52 in
Length: 137 in
Wheelbase: 70 in
Diameter: 50.25 in (Wheel Diameter)
Diameter: 41 in (Wheel Diameter)

Inscriptions

Painted on each side of the tank gold, red and white lettering: STANDARD OIL CO/(INDIANA) Painted below the driver's seat on each side of the vehicle: 586 Painted on box behind the oil-tank: POLARINE / MOTOR OIL / USE MICA AXLE GREASE Location not noted: MORRISON BROS. / DUBUQUE, IOWA Location not noted: DUBUQUE / IOWA / FIG____