ca. 1870
Wagons such as this were used to haul petroleum products to customers all over the country. They would often carry between 300 and 1000 gallons of kerosene, machine oil, or gasoline in later years. They often built to be very heavy and had platform or truck springs for shock absorption.
Oil tank wagons could vary greatly in size and shape some had only room enough for one liquid while others had multiple compartments for different types of oil. Some variations of the oil wagons were made to sprinkle water or for hauling various other liquids.
This wagon originally belonged to John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company of Indiana, today’s Amoco Corporation, one of the largest oil companies in history. It has three tanks inside, all separated by double walls to hold different liquids safely. It was acquired in 1980 in Minnesota near the Canadian border. For the restoration, The Standard Oil Company was contacted to ensure that it would be accurately painted and repaired.