Pridemore Oil Company
John Samuel Pridemore was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County, West Virginia, and championed the fight against bootlegging, which was at the time prevalent throughout the region. Using his position of authority within the community as leverage, Pridemore embarked on a highly successful campaign to buy up mineral rights from farmers throughout Lincoln County inexpensively. When oil and gas was discovered in Lincoln County, Pridemore was one of the first to benefit. His drilling teams were known for their ruthless efficiency, and after a few years Pridemore found himself in control of the second largest fossil fuel conglomerate in oil-rich West Virginia. Pridemore amassed a considerable fortune diversified in oil, stocks and real estate. This diversification left Pridemore mostly unaffected by the economic climate of the 1930's, making him a major player in West Virgina politics, with Pridemore even loaning money to his home state on several occasions. During the Great Depression, Pridemore continued to develop his oil holdings, purchasing oil fields in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. These holdings were consolidated into The Pridemore Oil Company, portions of which were later acquired by Exxon, Phillips Petroleum Company, and Adkins Oil, though some are still privately held by Pridemore's descendants. It was at one time believed that Pridemore was deeply involved in Teapot Dome related business dealings, but was cleared of any connection during congressional hearings.
Read more about this topic: J. S. Pridemore
Famous quotes containing the words oil and/or company:
“No skilled hands
caress a stranger’s flesh with lucid oil before
a word is spoken
no feasting
before a tale is told, before
the stranger tells his name.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“Some fluctuating notions concerning repentance, virtue, honor, morality ... hovered around Lady Dellwyn’s thoughts but were too wavering to bring her to any fixed determination. She became a constant attendant from one public place to another, where she met with many mortifications. But yet even these were not quite so dreadful to her as to retire and be subjected to her own company alone.”
—Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)