Coffeyville, Kansas Refinery

BIG OIL REFINERY FOR COFFEYVILLE

The National Refining Company of Cleveland, Ohio with capital stock of $5,000,000 have completed arrangements for a refinery to be built on 75 acres in northeast Coffeyville, Montgomery county, Kansas. This tract of land was the gift from the Citizens Commercial Club. J.I. Lamprecht and W.J. Willis, directors in the National Refining Company, were in Coffeyville to oversee the project. Next to Standard Oil, National is the biggest oil company in the country, .

With their superintendent, W.F. Bissleman and the M. K. & T railroad engineer, they laid out the route for the belt line and KATY rail switches. With the completion of the railroad tracks they will begin construction of the refinery by the first part of August 1906.

The oil from the Coffeyville and north territory will be piped to Coffeyville. Capacity will be 2500 barrels per day. This will be the largest independent refinery in Kansas. $250,000 are being invested and this will be the western headquarters for the company and 75 men will be on the payroll from the start.

Horace B. Setzer was superintendent and continued in that capacity until his death in 1939. J. B. Gillam then became the superintendent. The National Refining Co. currently has 30 branch stations, five of which are in Kansas. This new refinery will greatly increase the companies share here in the west.

One of the reasons for building this refinery in Kansas is to enjoy the protection afforded independent oil producers and refiners by laws passed by the 1905 legislature.

There will be 58 tanks all together on the site and their capacity will range from 1000 to 35,000 barrels each. Nineteen train car loads of lumber will be required for tank roofing alone.

Concerns in 1906 were with Standard Oils monopoly of the oil business. Mr. Lamprecht of The National Refining Company, being the largest independent oil refiner, said that he will not play Standards games and will continue to buy crude oil at the market price, same as Standard and sell the refined products also at the market price. They feel that they are prospering and are being treated as fair competitors by the Standard Oil company.

This refinery was later sold to CO-OP and is currently owned by Coffeyville Resources, LLC.

Left, Horace B. Settler, Superintendent of Coffeyville refinery.