John Eaton founded the first oil well supply company, in 
1862, with a small supply house in Oil City, which prospered 
from the very beginning. Today the company which sprang 
from it, the Oil Well Supply Company of Pittsburgh, has 
seven factories, covering more than 90 acres, and over 100 
branches located in the various oil fields of the United Sta tes, 
with foreign branches in London and Tampico, Mexico, and 
a factory at the latter place. 
From this modest beginning has sprung a gigantic or- 
ganization which ranks as the world’s oldest and largest 
manufacturers of oil field equipment, and its growth is of 
interest to every one connected with the oil industry. 
Soon after the first supply house was opened in Oil City, 
the first manufacturing plant was established at Bradford, 
and was devoted to the making of woodwork materials. In 
1899 this plant was moved to Parkersburg, W. Va., and at 
the present time covers about five acres. It is still used 
exclusively for the manufacture of woodwork for drilling 
rigs. In 1880 the first shop for the manufacture of drilling 
and fishing tools was opened in Summit City, McKean 
County, Pa. In 1882 a second shop was opened at Bradford, 
and continued in operation until 1890. when the factory at 
Pittsburgh was started. 
At its beginning the Pittsburgh factory employed 22 men, 
and had a power plant of one 80 horsepower boiler and one 
80 horsepower engine. As the oil industry grew and the 
demand for equipment became larger and more exacting, the 
Pittsburgh factory increased its working force and enlarged 
its plant until today the present factory employs about 600 
men, has a plant of 10,000 horsepower and covers seven 
acres. This factory is devoted exclusively to the manu- 
facture of drilling and fishing tools and is the largest plant 
of its kind in the world. 
In 1890 a factory was started at Van Wert, 0O., for the 
manufacture of wood sucker or pump rods. In 1902 this 
factory was moved to Poplar Bluff, Mo.. its present location. 
and covers about five acres. 
The first factory at Oil City was established in 1889, and 
consisted of an engine works and machine shop. During the