Joseph S. Cullinan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph S. Cullinan
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| Born |
Joseph Stephen Cullinan
December 31, 1860 Pulaski Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
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| Died | March 11, 1937 (aged 76) |
| Relatives | Craig F. Cullinan Jr. (grandson) |
Joseph Stephen Cullinan (born December 31, 1860, died March 11, 1937) was an important American oil businessman. He was from Pennsylvania, but he helped build the oil industry in Texas. He started a company called The Texas Company. Later, this company became famous as Texaco.
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Joseph Cullinan's Early Life
Joseph Cullinan was born on December 31, 1860. His hometown was Pulaski Township, Pennsylvania. When he was just 14 years old, he started working in the oil fields of Pennsylvania. He did many different jobs related to oil. This early experience taught him a lot about the oil business.
On April 14, 1891, he married Lucy Halm. They had five children together. When he was 22, Joseph worked for a company connected to Standard Oil. He held many management jobs there for 13 years. In 1895, he started his own company. It was called Petroleum Iron Works. This company made large steel tanks to store oil.
Moving to Texas and Oil Discoveries
In 1894, oil was found by accident in Corsicana, Texas. A company was digging a water well for the city. Instead, they found petroleum. By 1897, a lot of oil was being produced. The mayor of Corsicana asked Joseph Cullinan for help. He wanted Cullinan to guide the development of oil facilities.
Sometimes, crude oil was just dumped because there were not enough refineries. This was very wasteful. Texas lawmakers decided to create rules for the oil industry. Cullinan helped create the state's first oil-saving law. He was so interested that he agreed to build an oil refinery.
He used money from outside Texas to start the J. S. Cullinan Company. By 1900, his refinery was working. It could process 1,500 barrels of oil each day. This was the first refinery of its kind west of the Mississippi River. This company later became part of the Magnolia Petroleum Company.
Building the Oil Industry in Texas
A huge oil field called Spindletop was discovered in Beaumont, Texas. Cullinan then moved his business to the Beaumont area. He partnered with a man named Arnold Schlaet. They formed The Texas Fuel Company on March 28, 1901.
The company started producing oil on January 2, 1902. They had land in Port Arthur, Texas, and a storage site near Spindletop. Their main product was kerosene. At that time, Texas laws did not allow one company to do everything in the oil business. So, Cullinan started another company.
On January 17, 1902, he formed the Producers Oil Company. This company focused on finding and supplying oil. A well-known businessman, John Warne Gates, invested in this company. Within two months, The Texas Company was formed. This company handled transporting and refining the crude oil.
Joseph Cullinan was the president of The Texas Company from 1902 to 1913. In 1909, he moved the company's main office to Houston, Texas. This move helped make Houston a major center for the oil industry. Other oil companies soon followed his lead. The Texas Company later changed its name to Texaco in 1959.
Even after leaving Texaco's leadership, Cullinan stayed in the oil business. He started other companies like the American Republics Corporation. These companies explored for oil and built more refineries along the Texas coast.
Joseph Cullinan's Impact on Houston
Joseph Cullinan had a big impact on the city of Houston. He was a strong supporter of the Houston Ship Channel. This channel helped ships bring goods to and from Houston. He also built the North Side belt railway.
He supported important cultural places in Houston. These included the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of Fine Arts. He was the president of the Houston Chamber of Commerce from 1913 to 1919.
During World War I, he worked as a special advisor. He helped Herbert Hoover with the Food Administration. From 1928, he served for five years on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Committee.
Joseph Cullinan died on March 11, 1937. He was visiting Herbert Hoover in Palo Alto, California, when he got pneumonia. After his death, his share in Texaco was divided among his sister and his children.
In 1916, Cullinan bought land that became the Shadyside neighborhood. He wanted to create a place where his business friends could live close to him. In 1920, he put the 16 lots in Shadyside up for sale. They all sold out in just six weeks.
