Petroleum Iron Works
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oil industry |
| Founded | 1916 in Houston, Texas |
| Defunct | 1956 |
| Fate | Sold to Sinclair Oil |
| Successor | Sinclair Oil Corporation |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Template:UBL |
| Products | Oil production, oil shipping |
| Subsidiaries | Template:UBL |
American Republics Corporation was an oil enterprise based in Texas, established in Houston by Joseph S. Cullinan in 1916. Cullinan merged Farmers Oil Company along with twenty other subsidiaries into this corporation, which functioned as the parent holding entity for these operations.
By the year 1927, the company owned approximately two million acres of oil properties, including refineries and a fleet of rail tank cars and tanker vessels. Cullinan stepped down as president in 1928; during the Great Depression, the firm underwent receivership. He resumed leadership in 1936 and guided the corporation through its significant involvement in supplying oil and managing tanker activities during World War II.
History
Joseph S. Cullinan originally founded the Texas Oil Company (now Texaco) in 1913. After its headquarters relocated to New York City, Cullinan, alongside James L. Autry and Will Hogg, stayed in Texas to create Farmers Oil Company in 1915. This firm specialized in revitalizing depleted oil fields by drilling to greater depths. Both Autry and Hogg were lawyers and shareholders at Texas Oil.
Building on Farmers Oil’s achievements, Cullinan established Republic Production Company at Spindletop focusing on exploration and production, as well as American Petroleum Company located in Corsicana, Texas, which operated pipelines and refinery facilities. Concurrently, American Republics Corporation was formed to serve as the holding company for these subsidiaries. Other affiliated companies included Papoose Oil Company (Oklahoma), Federal Petroleum Company (Louisiana), and Petroleum Iron Works (Pennsylvania).
Cullinan also held investments in firms such as Hughes Tool Company, Paraffin Oil Company, Texas Fuel Company (Texaco), and the Hogg-Swain Syndicate. A collaboration with Houston Oil Company resulted in discovering the Hull Field in Liberty County. He played a crucial role in developing major Texas oilfields including Humble and East Texas.
In 1956, American Republics Corporation along with its subsidiaries was acquired by Sinclair Oil Corporation for $108 million. Cullinan’s career began in 1898 with J.S. Cullinan Company, which later became Magnolia Petroleum Company. After departing from Standard Oil, he founded Petroleum Iron Works in 1895 to manufacture steel storage tanks, followed by the creation of the Texas Company in 1902, which evolved into Texaco.
World War II
During World War II, American Republics Corporation supported the war effort by operating merchant marine vessels under the authority of the United States Shipping Board. The company participated in charter shipping agreements with both the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Its subsidiary, Sword Line, Inc., managed tankers and Liberty Ships crewed by employees of American Republics Corporation, while deck guns and radio communications were manned by Armed Guards from the US Navy.
Before World War II
- Republic (1), a tanker constructed in 1920 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Wilmington, Delaware. Initially launched as Weweantic and later Liberty Minquas, it was acquired in 1923 and renamed Republic. This vessel was sunk on February 22, 1942, following torpedo strikes by the German submarine U-504 near Jupiter Island, Florida.
- Norsworthy, originally built in 1916 under the name Twilite, was purchased in 1925 and subsequently sold in 1927.
Ships Operated During World War II
Among the Liberty Ships and Armadillo-class tankers managed were:
- George W. Kendall (tanker, 1943)
- Andrew Marschalk (tanker, 1943)
- Jean Baptiste Le Moyne (tanker, 1943)
- Josiah G. Holland (tanker, 1943)
Post-World War II Operations
T2 tanker vessels operated after the war included:
- Republic (2), previously named El Caney, built in 1944 at Alabama Dry Dock; remained in service starting from 1948
- Beecher Island, a T2-SE-A1 tanker, active during 1946