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Well
defini•ely of related interest. For
C.S.O. No. 4 was the first commercial-
ly successful oil well completed in Cali-
fornia ... by the California Star Oil
Works Company, a predecessor of
ours.
That was back in September, 1876
(the well was theri called Pico No. 4),
yet old faithful is still producing its
regular 30 barrels per month.
The plaque was inscribed in part: "It
was not only the discovery well of the
Newhall Field but was indeed a pow-
erful stimulus to the subsequent de-
velopment of the California petroleum
industry."
The men who heard this dedication
were just what their organization's
name describes them to be- petroleum
pioneers- senior members of which had
been in the producing end of the oil
game at least 30 years. Guy Wiggins examines a cast iron sheave from an old crown block. That's C.S.O. (Pico)
But up there on the windswept Santa No. 4 i::i the background, still pumping away after 77 years of valiant service
Susanas, the range of mountains at the ground of the well itself, the history of
northern end of the San Fernando Val- the Pico Canyon area, and many of the
ley, the plaque was a commemorative people who participated in the early
symbol of the real pioneers of the West drilling and development work.
Coast petroleum industry. Those men He also pointed out that, like most
who had the courage to continue drill- people everywhere, the greatest inter-
ing after three holes were abandoned, est in tracing an historical event lies in
back in the years when "coal oil" and the people themselves- those who ac-
axle grease were about the only two tually performed the deeds. He talked
products of value. about Scofield, and also reviewed some
D. G. Scofield and C. A. Mentry of the early history of our Company.
started drilling in Pico Canyon in 187 5. Scofield was a young geologist from
The dedication of the plaque was the Pennsylvania oil fields who had
conducted by Petroleum Pioneers' come to San Francisco to enter the
president, B. H. Anderson of the Con- marketing end of this new business.
tinental Oil, and Paul Andrews of Sig- But when he heard of the oil seepage
nal Oil and Gas, Pioneers' historian. near Newhall, he headed south and
Andrews traced some of the back- acquired acreage in the well-nigh in-
ground and aims of the organization in accessible Pico Canyon.
perpetuating important historical Alex Mentry was a Los Angeles car-
events and milestones in the petroleum penter, powerful and bearded.
industry. All the materials had to be taken in
Many typical old-style wooden derricks In the crowd of a couple of hundred over crude trails by wagon and sled.
still stand in Pico Canyon near Newhall people who turned out were several Snubbing posts were necessary and
I
Standard Oilers, including Vice-Presi- helpful since later drilling was done
dents Gage Lund and Jules Toussaint. both in the canyons and on top of the
◄ This bull wheel was used in hoisting op-
erations in cable tool drilling Toussaint traced the interesting back- 2000-foot ridges.
AUGUST 1953 9