Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The Max Shafer Collection consists of approximately .5 linear ft. of original photographs, copy prints, and copy negatives, documenting workers in the petroleum industry in Ohio and the Midwest between 1886 and 1924.

The collection was acquired by donation and through loans for duplication with the cooperation of Max Shafer and Paul Herringshaw in 1979. This register was prepared by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts, Center for Archival Collections, September 1991. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection.

Scope and Content

The Max Shafer Collection consists of photographs of workers in the petroleum industry, particulary centered on scenes in the Cygnet, Ohio area. The focus of the collection is the work crews that constructed the large oil storage tanks in the petroleum fields, rather than the exploration or drilling activities of the oil and gas industry.

The few photographs in the collection with identified locations document movement of the workers as the new fields opened up in such places as Leeper, Pa.; Stoy and Bridgeport, Ill.; LaPlata, Mo.; Chelsea, Indian Territory (Oklahoma); and Cygnet and Findlay, Ohio. Only a few individuals in the pictures are identified, but one person, E.D. Pryer, appears in 13 photographs, covering a span of around twenty years. In 1904 Chelsea, Oklahoma and 1905 LaPlata, Mo., he appears as a young member of the tank construction crew. In an undated photo from around 1920, he is obviously the crew foreman or supervisor, wearing a suit and smoking a pipe.

A part of the collection contains copy prints made by Paul Herringshaw of original photographs retained by Max Shafer. These photographs are primarily of the massive fires in Cygnet, Ohio around 1912 when lightning ignited some oil storage tanks. Also included in this group are production and drilling pictures, some of which appeared in The Book of Ohio.

Many of the images in this collection were used by Joseph Arpad in his television documentary, The Ohio gas and oil boom, produced in 1984. The production slides for this program, including the Shafer Collection items and related photographs from other sources, form a separate collection in the Center for Archival Collections holdings.

Series Description

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

POSITIVE PRINTS (ORIGINALS)
Circa 1890-1920
Arranged alphabetically by topic
Positive photographic print of petroleum industry workers in Ohio and various locations in the Midwest and southern plains region.

POSITIVE PRINTS (COPY)
Circa 1886-1924
Arranged alphabetically by topic
Copy prints made by Paul Herringshaw of original photographs retained by Max Shafer; primarily of the massive fires in Cygnet, Ohio, and general scenes of oil field operations.

NEGATIVES (COPY)
Circa 1890-1924
Arranged numerically
Copy negatives made by Paul Herringshaw of original photographs retained by Max Shafer.

Inventory

Box 1

1. Bowling Green, Ohio. Circa 1900
   a. Horse-drawn hearse in front of Chris Finkbeiner Undertaker, at Court and Main Street (Neg.1)
2. Chelsea, Indian Territory (Oklahoma). 1904
   a. Large work crew on scaffold building oil storage tank. Cow in front (Neg.2)
   b. Work crew in front of oil storage tank under construction (Neg.5)
   c. Four men with wagon, in front of oil storage tank. Identified as Dutch Cameron, Dixie Driscoll, E.D. Pryer, and S.M. Leedom (Neg.3)
3. Cygnet, Ohio. Circa 1910
   a. Buckeye Pipeline Company pumping station building, distant view (Neg.7)
   b. Buckeye Pipeline Company pumping station building, close view (Neg.8)
4. Findlay, Ohio. 1908
   a. Work crew building oil storage tank, Cramer Farm (Neg.9)
5. LaPlata, Mo. April 1905
   a. Work crew in front of oil storage tank. E.D. Pryer in picture (Neg.4)
   b. P.O. & G. Co., buildings under construction, Apr. 26, 1905 (Neg.10)
6. Leeper, Pa. 1908
   a. Gas pumping station, exterior view (Neg.11)
   b. Gas pumps in station (Neg.12)
   c. Engines in station (Neg.13)
7. People - Family/groups
   a. Dr. P.P. Duket in car, 1911
   b. John and Laura Echelbarger, circa 1890
   c. Hanna family with Mrs. Heath, circa 1890
   d. Will Coupe and family, Defiance, Ohio, circa 1890
   e. George Bresler, circa 1890
8. People - E.D. Pryer
   a. E.D. Pryer, with unidentified man, probably at Ketzenberger Farm, Bloom Twp., Wood County, circa 1903 (Neg.30)
   b. Work crew of 13 men, unidentified location, with storage tanks in background, circa 1903 (Neg.26)
   c. Work crew of 24 men, unidentified location, circa 1904 (Neg.25)
   d. Oil tank under construction, with 25 men on scaffolding, unidentified location, circa 1905 (Neg.28)
   e. Small group of workers holding tools, unidentified location, circa 1906 (Neg.27)
   f. Group of workers on a wagon by a storage tank, Stoy, Illinois, 1909 (Badly faded) (Neg.31)
   g. Four men in front of a display of weapons, circa 1910 (Neg.32)
   h. Large group of workers posed in front of tank under construction, Bridgeport, Illinois, 1913 (Neg.16)
   i. Large group of workers posed in front of tank under construction, unidentified location, circa 1915 (Neg.24)
   j. Group of workers, E.D. Pryer in suit, smoking a pipe, circa 1920 (Neg.14)
9. People - Simon/Sines
   a. Group of workers, including Guy and Fred Simon, Cygnet, Ohio, circa 1900 (Neg.20)
   b. Group of men and boys in wooded area, with name on verso Ray S. Sines, circa 1900 (Neg.22)
   c. Group of men on farm, oil derricks in background, Ray S. Sines on verso, circa 1900 (Neg.29)
10. People - Unidentified oil workers
    a. Group of workers, posed with studio backdrop, circa 1905 (Neg.18)
    b. Group of workers, posed in wooded area, circa 1905 (Neg.19)
    c. Large group of workers in front of oil tank under construction, circa 1905 (Neg.21)
    d. Group of men and women in front of oil tank under construction, circa 1905 (Neg.17)
    e. Workers in a field with oil storage tank in background, circa 1905 (Neg.6)
    f. Workers sitting on lumber at a construction site, circa 1905 (Neg.23)
    g. Workers in camp, with tents in background, circa 1905 (Neg.15)
11. People - Unidentified portraits
    a. Woman in large wooden chair, circa 1890
    b. Woman, head & shoulders portrait, circa 1890
    c. Man and woman, holding cats, circa 1905
    d. Three children, Defiance, Ohio, circa 1890
    e. Family group, Bowling Green, Ohio, circa 1890
    f. Four men, studio portrait, circa 1890
    g. Young man, studio portrait, Fostoria, Ohio, circa 1890
    h. Young man, memorial card, circa 1890
    i. Family in car, distant view, circa 1910
12. Transportation
    a. Oil wagon, n.d. (Neg.34)
    b. Railbed construction, Michigan Central Railroad, circa 1890 (Neg.33)
13. Watson, Ohio 1910
    a. Holtz Brothers Elevator, with inset portraits (Neg.35)
    b. Holtz Brothers Elevator, with crates of poultry by tracks (Neg.36)
    c. Holtz Brothers Elevator, car on track, view from north (Neg.37)
    d. Holtz Brothers Elevator, car on track, view from south (Neg.38)
14. Oil tank fires (Copy prints)
    a. Fire at Manhattan Refinery Co., south of Cygnet, Ohio, circa 1900
    b. Three oil storage tanks at Cgynet, on fire after a lightning strike, 1912
    c. Close view of burning oil storage tank, Cygnet, 1912
    d. Oil storage tank burning, with workers building earth dike, Cygnet, 1912
    e. Oil storage tank burning, with derrick in foreground, Cygnet, 1912
    f. Sky dark with smoke from burning oil tanks, Cygnet, 1912
    g. Burning oil tank, with trees in foreground, Cygnet, 1912
    h. Work crew with shovels at tank fire, Cygnet, 1912
    i. Smoke from distant tank fire, Cygnet, 1912
15. Oil wells and derricks (Copy prints)
    a. Derrick with three children on it, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Neg.43)
    b. Derrick with steam engine for power, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Neg.47)
    c. Derrick in middle of corn field, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Neg.41)
    d. Derrick and storage tank, either south of Cygnet or north of Portage (Neg.42)
    e. Leased oil well in Wood County (from The Book of Ohio) (Neg.39)
    f. Hocking Valley Railroad locomotive with oil derrick in background
    g. Farm dog, with oil derrick in background
16. Oil well operations (Copy prints)
    a. Pulling rods out of the well to get it pumping again, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924
    b. Pumping apparatus, with man on walking beam, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Neg.44)
    c. Shooting a well, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924
    d. Shooting a well, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924
    e. Shooting a well in Wood County (from The Book of Ohio) (Neg.40)
    f. Oil well with tank in background (Neg.45)
    g. Man looking at a gauge on a boiler
    h. Barrels of oil ready for shipment, Mathias Well, Findlay, 1886
    i. Glow in sky from burn-off at Karg Well, Findlay, 1886
    j. Workers laying a pipeline
17. Oil well structures (Copy prints)
    a. Three women on the room of a tank house, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924
    b. Man in field by tank house and power house, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Neg.46)
    c. Two men by power house at tank site, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec. 2, circa 1924
    d. Boy with dog by power house at tank siet, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924
    e. Steam boiler, of type used to power wells, in Kansas
    f. Man at doorway, unidentified building and location
    g. Derrick with tank buildings, in snow, unidentified location

Negatives (Folder 18)

1. Horse-drawn hearse in front of Chris Finkbeiner Undertaker, at Court and Main Street (Print 1a)
2. Large work crew on scaffold building oil storage tank. Cow in front (Print 2a)
3. Four men with wagon, in front of oil storage tank. Identified as Dutch Cameron, Dixie Driscoll, E.D. Pryer, and S.M. Leedom (Print 2c)
4. Work crew in front of oil storage tank. E.D. Pryer in picture (Print 5a)
5. Work crew in front of oil storage tank under construction (Print 2b)
6. Workers in a field with oil storage tank in background, circa 1905 (Print 10e)
7. Buckeye Pipeline Company pumping station building, distant view (Print 3a)
8. Buckeye Pipeline Company pumping station building, close view (Print 3b)
9. Work crew building oil storage tank, Cramer Farm (Print 4a)
10. P.O. & G. Co., buildings under construction, Apr. 26, 1905 (Print 5b)
11. Gas pumping station, exterior view (Print 6a)
12. Gas pumps in station (Print 6b)
13. Engines in station (Print 6c)
14. Group of workers, E.D. Pryer in suit, smoking a pipe, circa 1920 (Print 8j)
15. Workers in camp, with tents in background, circa 1905 (Print 10g)
16. Large group of workers posed in front of tank under construction, Bridgeport, Illinois, 1913 (Print 8h)
17. Group of men and women in front of oil tank under construction, circa 1905 (Print 10d)
18. Group of workers, posed with studio backdrop, circa 1905 (Print 10a)
19. Group of workers, posed in wooded area, circa 1905 (Print 10b)
20. Group of workers, including Guy and Fred Simon, Cygnet, Ohio, circa 1900 (Print 9a)
21. Large group of workers in front of oil tank under construction, circa 1905 (Print 10c)
22. Group of men and boys in wooded area, with name on verso Ray S. Sines, circa 1900 (Print 9b)
23. Workers sitting on lumber at a construction site, circa 1905 (Print 10f)
24. Large group of workers posed in front of tank under construction, unidentified location, circa 1915 (Print 8i)
25. Work crew of 24 men, unidentified location, circa 1904 (Print 8c)
26. Work crew of 13 men, unidentified location, with storage tanks in background, circa 1903 (Print 8b)
27. Small group of workers holding tools, unidentified location, circa 1906 (Print 8e)
28. Oil tank under construction, with 25 men on scaffolding, unidentified location, circa 1905 (Print 8d)
29. Group of men on farm, oil derricks in background, Ray S. Sines on verso, circa 1900 (Print 9c)
30. E.D. Pryer, with unidentified man, probably at Ketzenberger Farm, Bloom Twp., Wood County, circa 1903 (Print 8a)
31. Group of workers on a wagon by a storage tank, Stoy, Illinois, 1909 (Badly faded) (Print 8f)
32. Four men in front of a display of weapons, circa 1910 (Print 8g)
33. Railbed construction, Michigan Central Railroad, circa 1890 (Print 12b)
34. Oil wagon, n.d. (Print 12a)
35. Holtz Brothers Elevator, with inset portraits (Print 13a)
36. Holtz Brothers Elevator, with crates of poultry by tracks (Print 13b)
37. Holtz Brothers Elevator, car on track, view from north (Print 13c)
38. Holtz Brothers Elevator, car on track, view from south (Print 13d)
39. Leased oil well in Wood County (from The Book of Ohio) (Print 15e)
40. Shooting a well in Wood County (from The Book of Ohio) (Print 16e)
41. Derrick in middle of corn field, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Print 15c)
42. Derrick and storage tank, either south of Cygnet or north of Portage (Print 15d)
43. Derrick with three children on it, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Print 15a)
44. Pumping apparatus, with man on walking beam, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Print 16b)
45. Oil well with tank in background (Print 16f)
46. Man in field by tank house and power house, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Print 17b)
47. Derrick with steam engine for power, Wood County, Mitchell Road, Liberty Twp. Sec 2, circa 1924 (Print 15b)
48. Derrick and pump by sheds (NO PRINT)
49. Boilers for sale, by sheds (NO PRINT)
50. Men with a boiler on a wagon (NO PRINT)
51. Six unidentified men (NO PRINT)
52. Mrs. Heath, Zelma, Stella, Sarah, & two unidentified people (NO PRINT)

Manuscripts by Subject | Photograph Collections