Reuben C. Baker
Reuben Carlton "Carl" Baker, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Purcellville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 29, 1957 (aged 85) Whittier, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Oil drilling pioneer, businessman |
| Known for | Founder of Baker Oil Tools; inventor of casing shoe, offset bit, cement retainer, float shoe |
Reuben Carlton "Carl" Baker, Sr. (July 18, 1872 – September 29, 1957) was a trailblazer in the American oil drilling sector and established Baker Oil Tools in 1907. He created a casing shoe that transformed cable tool drilling methods and introduced the offset bit in 1903, which made it possible to case wells penetrating hard rock formations. In 1912, he developed the cement retainer to facilitate casing cementing, followed by the invention of the float shoe in 1923. Despite having only completed third grade, Baker was granted over 150 patents related to oil drilling equipment. In 1987, Baker Oil Tools merged with Hughes Tool Company to become Baker Hughes Incorporated.
Personal life
On December 12, 1897, Baker wed Minnie Myrtle Zumwalt. The couple moved from Los Angeles to Coalinga in 1899 and had two children: Thelma Ellen Baker (1901–1986) and Reuben Carlton Baker, Jr. (1902–1965).
Early life
Born in Purcellville, Virginia, Baker spent his formative years in Shasta County, California. His father, a Civil War veteran from Pennsylvania, managed a small farm. Baker discontinued formal education after third grade. At age 23 in 1895, he ventured to Alaska seeking gold but depleted his funds while in Redding, California. After a brief period working at a quarry, he was encouraged to explore opportunities within Southern California’s burgeoning oil industry.
Career
Following the path of his elder brother Aaron Alphonso Baker, Sr., Baker entered the oil field. Arriving in Los Angeles on April 4, 1895, with only 95 cents in hand, he started as an oil hauler in the Los Angeles City Oil Field, earning $2.00 for twelve-hour shifts. Progressing from pumper to tool dresser under contract driller Irving Carl, he became Carl’s partner when wages were withheld. Within two years, they jointly owned two drilling rigs and operated a successful venture before dissolving their partnership in 1898.
In 1899, Baker relocated to Coalinga, California, where he continued as a drilling contractor and introduced one of the earliest rotary rigs to the San Joaquin Valley. He engineered enhanced drill bits and an offset bit tailored for cable tool drilling that enabled casing installation through hard rock layers. Alongside his brother, he founded the Coalinga Petroleum Company in 1905 with $75,000 capital; owning six wells in Fresno County before selling the company in 1920.
In 1909, rival Howard R. Hughes, Sr. secured a patent for the roller cone drill bit that became central to the Hughes Tool Company. Meanwhile, Baker established the St. Paul Consolidated Oil Company in 1910 with $600,000 capital and later launched the Coalinga Lost Hills Oil Company in 1911.
Baker’s innovation continued with the creation of the Baker Cement Retainer in 1912 to enhance cementing operations by sealing between casing and tubing during pumping. The following year saw the formation of the Baker Casing Shoe Company to manage patents and collect royalties for his casing shoe invention; manufacturing rights were licensed while he maintained contract drilling activities. By 1918, after acquiring a machine shop in Coalinga, he concentrated exclusively on producing drilling tools.
In collaboration with his brother Aaron and Irving Carl, Baker co-founded Future Success Oil Company in 1913 with $100,000 capital. His business interests also included farming alongside oil production enterprises.
Seeking improved operational facilities, Baker moved back to Los Angeles and purchased a yard on Slauson Avenue. In 1921 he developed an upgraded dump bailer and cement retainer. The discovery of the Long Beach Oil Field motivated his return to the Los Angeles region and further expansion of his company’s footprint there.
Death and legacy
Carl Baker, Sr. passed away in 1957 in Whittier, California at the age of 85. In 1987, Baker Oil Tool Company combined with Hughes Tool Company, creating Baker Hughes Incorporated, a global powerhouse in oilfield services renowned for its pioneering product offerings.
Patents
Throughout his professional life, Baker was granted more than 150 U.S. patents, including several significant inventions such as:
- "Drilling Bit", issued December 22, 1903
- "Gas Trap for Oil Wells", issued August 25, 1908
- "Well Casing Shoe", issued November 11, 1913
- "Plug for Well Casings", issued November 18, 1913
- "Pump-Plunger", issued June 23, 1914
- "Shoe Guide for Well Casings", issued November 16, 1920