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Charles A. Mentry, PIONEER OIL DRILLER, was born in France, coming to
the United States at the age of seven, and to California in the 1870's. He sold his
interest in Pico Canyon to D. G. Scofield and his associates who owned Pacific
Coast Oil Co. and the California Star Oil Co., and remained as superintendent until
his death on Oct. 4, 1900. He constructed the first pipe line for the transportation of
oil within the State. He laid a two-inch line from Mentryville to the ocean at Ven-
tura, an outstanding engineering feat of gravity flow. This was built to circumvent
the high rates charged by the Southern Pacific Railroad. When the Southern
Pacific knew the oil company meant business they lowered their rates, so the line
was never used.
