Vacuum Oil Company was an American oil company known for their Gargoyle 600-W Steam Cylinder Oil. Vacuum Oil merged with Socony Oil to form Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, and is now a part of ExxonMobil.

History

Vacuum Oil was founded in 1866 by Matthew Ewing

Matthew Ewing

Matthew Ewing was an American carpenter and inventor. He is known as the cofounder of the Vacuum Oil Company with business partner Hiram Bond Everest.-Biography:...

 and Hiram Bond Everest

Hiram Bond Everest

Hiram Bond Everest was a professor of science, businessman, investor and inventor.-Biography:Everest was born in Pike, New York and moved to Wisconsin around age 18 to work as a teacher of science until 1853, when he moved to Rochester, N.Y.. There he established a grocery business...

, of Rochester, NY. The lubrication oil was an accidental discovery while attempting to distill kerosene. Everest noted that the residue from the extraction was suitable as a lubricant. Soon after, the product became popular for use by steam engines and the internal-combustion engines. Ewing sold his interest to Everest, who carried on the company.

Vacuum Oil and Standard Oil

Standard Oil

Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...

 of New York (Socony) merged in 1931, after the government gave up their attempts to prevent it. Their union, creating Socony-Vacuum Corp. made them the third largest (at the time) world oil company. Everest was given a salary job as President and remained with the company.

In 1931, Socony and Vacuum Oil merged, and in 1955, the company became Socony Mobil

Mobil

Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...

 Oil Company. In World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the Tschechowitz I & II subcamps of Auschwitz in Czechowice-Dziedzice

Czechowice-Dziedzice

Czechowice-Dziedzice is a town in Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 34,867 inhabitants . It lies on the northeastern edge of the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia...

 provided forced labor for Vacuum Oil Company facilities in Poland that were captured and operated by Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

. In 1963 it became "Mobilgas" then just "Mobil".

Legal Problems

In 1887, founder Hiram Bond Everest and son Charles M. Everest were charged with conspiracy to destroy competitor Buffalo Lubricating Oil Co. It is said that they were attempting to destroy the buildings, preventing them from manufacturing petroleum products, as well as acquiring their skillful employees. One said employee included Albert A. Miller who was being bribed to construct defective machinery so that it would explode. Hiram Everest and Charles Everest were both found guilty.

In 1907 the Vacuum Oil, Standard Oil, New York Central Railroad

New York Central Railroad

The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...

, and Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

were all indicted for violations in Inter-State Commerce laws. Vacuum Oil was charged for shipping 228 cars of petroleum and petroleum products to Standard Oil at unlawful rates via the New York Central RR and Pennsylvania RR.