  |
A.W. Long's start in the oil business came on March 1, 1915 when he bought Manhattan Oil gets name changed to Long and Company and
then to the Long Oil Company when on June 7, 1917 Long Oil Company became a Kansas corporation. Throughout the time Long Oil existed Mr.
Long would always refer to his company as an all Kansas company and referred to this fact
whenever he advertised.
On April 18, 1918 Long Oil had the grand opening of their station at 3rd and Houston station in Manhattan. This was located on the northwest corner and is now the parking lot located near the Town Center Mall.
By 1919 there were stations at 1st and Colorado, (where the main office was located), 3rd and Houston, 17th and Colorado, Manhattan Ave. and Moro in Manhattan. The Moro station property was actually owned by Wareham but leased for the Long station. In 1922 Long opened a station at 1215 Moro. This is where the Last Chance Bar and Grill is today. The lease with Wareman at the Manhattan Ave. and Moro ended sometime between 1923 and 1925.
On December 23, 1922 opened a station at 5th and Poyntz, Manhattan. This was replaced with a larger development in 1928 which included a new Long station at the street and bus depot, floral shop, cab office and restaurant. Those buildings were torn down and replaced with the Kansas Power and Light office building. It is now ?.
On July 14th, 1924 Long moved their new offices to 118 South 3rd.
On May 4, 1926 Long Oil signed contract with the city of Manhattan to develop Longs Park which is located at the southeast corner of 17th and Colorado. This park is still there and is still named Long's Park. See Long's Park page. In 1927 Long opened a warehouse and packaging facility at 6th and Riley in Manhattan. This complex of buildings is still there and is used by the city of Manhattan On February 26, 1931 Long Oil Company was sold to Prairie Oil. Feb 19, 1932 Archie Long died. Then on March 15, 1933 final sale of all Long Oil assets to Sinclair took place. This consisted of 11 bulk plants and 75 filling stations. Mostly along US40 highway from Kansas City to Solomon, Kansas. © Copyright
1997-2010 Ben Eckart. All rights reserved. |
Sikes oil (Sikes of Leonardville, Kansas
fame) and started the Manhattan Oil Company. He bought his oil and gasoline from Chanute
Refining, Kansas City, a division of the recently broken trust of Standard Oil. He
purchased his supplies at wholesale and set up shop in a 15X20 foot sheet metal building
at the corner of 1st and Colorado, near the railroad depot (shown here). That same year he
opened the first drive-in filling station in Manhattan at that same location. 
He also purchased a Great Bend truck in Topeka that year to help improve
deliveries of bulk fuel to the farming community. (also shown here).
