Standard Oil Bulk Plant  

Section 21 History 1835-1922 1905-1906 - Collier Bros. Maxinkuckee Lake Mills - Flour Mill.

1908 Plat Map Lot 1 Mary J. Hawkins Grist Mill, R. Kaley

19__-1913 - Castleman & Williamson Company [Samuel Castleman & Samuel Williamson]

19_-1913 - Castleman & Williamson Company

19_-1914 - Castleman Company [Samuel Castleman]

1914-1937 - Culver Feed & Grain Co. - 1914, 1924

1914 - Jan 1 The Culver feed and Grain company is erecting a corn crib at the old mill. It is 25X9X29 feet and will have a cpacity of 4,000 bushels

1912 - Mar 12 - Will Locate Station Here (401 S. Plymouth ?)

The Standard Oil company is negotiating for a lot in the Ezra Hawkins addition on which to estabish a station. A tank and an office will be etected. The business at culver has grown to such proportions that the local trade can no longger properly served by the wagons from Plymouth, particularly during the summer when the the town is full of automobiles

1912 - Oct 17 - Taking the Safe Side

The Standard Oil company has applied to the town board for an ordinance permitting the erection of an oil storage house on a lot owned by the company in the Ray Marshall neighborhood of the girst mill

The board will take no action in the matter No ordinance is needed, the members say.

The Standard Oil company has a perfect right to erect its building, taking its chances, like any other property owner, of being sued for damages in case the building is a nuisance.

If the building is protected by an ordinance adjacent property oweners would be barred from taking legal action.

1912 - Oct 17 - The Standard OIl Co. has applied to the town board for an ordinance permitting the erection of an oil storage house on a lot owned by the company in the Ray Marshall neighborhood south of the girst miill

1912 - Nov. 21 - A transfer went on record of lot 15 in the Hawkins addition from S. E. Medbourn to the Standard Oil company for a consideration of $1,000.

1913 Jan 9 - The Buisness is Growing

The Standard Oil Co. has erected two tanks on its lot near the grist mill and will keep oil and gasoline in storage here,employing a local team to make the deliveries

This will cut out the long haul from Plymouth

The business has increased so that two wagons were necessart last summer to supply the trade here, and eventhen the supply sometimes ran short.

With storage tanks and a local delivery this will not occur.

1917 - Mar 22 - The Standard Oil Co. has notified its local representative, Mr. Orrendorf, that the presentteam-drawn wagon will be replaced by a motor truck next month.

1917 - Jul 18 - The local agency of the Standard Oil co has received its new truck

1917 - Nov. 21 - Mr. Keen, local representative of the Standard Oil Co. has been transferred to take charge of the Marion station and his family will leave next week. Mr. Babcock of South Bend, a single man, has been sent to Culver,

1920 - Feb 18 - Miksells Sells Out

Claude Mikesell, local agent for Standard Oli Co., has sold his business and his home property to Al Biddinger of Leiter's Ford. He was been offered another position with the Standard Oil Co.

1921 - Feb 6 - Cluriel Mikesell isn now assistant to his father on the bulk rout of the Standard Oil Company

1922 - Hawkin's Addition - Subdivided as Lot 15 / Lot Elev(ator).

Standard Oil Bulk Plant - The 1924 sandborn map lists a 1 1/2 story structure which was the barn, a pumphouse, and a 19,000 gal coal oil tank and a 10,000 G.- tank. These were all on HAWKINS ADD LOT 15 as the grist mill was still pictured.

Standard Oil Bulk Plant - The 1937 Sandborn still lists the 1 1/2 story structure and the pump house; the location of the 2 tank has changed and increased to 4 they are label a Iron tanks eleveated 6 feet above ground. the 2 existing ones were either moved or replaced by these four and the older 2 dismanteled and descarded. These were all on HAWKINS ADD LOT 15 as the grist mill was still pictured.

Sometime after 1924 it is likely that the Standard Oil company acquired the grist mill property.

1925 - Dec 30 - Calude Mikesell Rewarded For Efforts as Salesman

Claude Mikesell, local agent for the Standard Oil Company has been recongnized as one of the twenty best agents for that company in Northern Indiana

The company is having a big convention in Whiting this week for the twenty best, and Mikesell was notified to attend the meeting.

Mikesell gained his honor by being one salesman to put out the most Polarine to the consuming trade during the past period.

1937 Apr 28 - Move to Culver - J. W. Paul has rented the Schweidler house on Liberty street and has moved here with his family from Tabe, Ill. He is the district manafer for the Standard Oli company, taking the place of Charles Martin.

1937 - Oct 27 - Moves to Culver - H. W. Gardner who has replaced J. W. Paul as district Standard Oil manager in this area, has moved into the Schweidler house on Liberty Streeet. The family comes from Mishawaka

Franklin Adkins, local representative of the Standard Oil Company, came to Culver in August 18, 1937

1940-1967 - Herman W. Gardner 1940 - Aug. 21 - Gardner For Adkins - Hermand Gardner has taken over the local Standard Oil Bulk business, replacing Franklin Adkins, who has moved to WIlliamsport, Ind. Mr. Gardner needs no introduction here as he has been living in Culver while acting as district salesman for Standard

1942 - Jul 29 - "Will This Strech As Far as Tokio?" Pictured is the collection of scrap rubber in Union towhship by the Standard Oil Company. Herman Gardner, local agent, Hand's Service Station, and Lake Shore Garage made the collections, along with 200 pounds from Deep Station and two tons by the county highway department, headed by Mr. Duddleson. The Total amount is 10 tons, and does not include the scrape rubber collected by other oil companies as this community's contribution to the nation-wide scrap rubber drive.

1947 - Dec 3 - The 20,000 gallon water pressure tank had been removed from the north side of the town hall and was sold to the Standard Oil comany for a storage tank. It will be buired in the ground at the corner of State Roads 10 and 17 north of culver

1967-1970's- ? - 'Norm' Norman Baker

The railroad ran in back of the bulk plant and in front of Cherry Villa & Willow Point. and with some of the deeds executed by the railroad with the grist mill owners castleman & Williamson one can assume possibly that apart of these properties were a portion of railroad property.

19_ - Don Good

Good Oil Company was founded by Don O. Good Sr. in 1941. Based out of Monterey, Indiana, the company was involved mainly in the sale and delivery of petroleum products to farm and home heat customers. Don became a Standard Oil/Amoco jobber and continued to grow his business until retirement in 1978.

When Don, retired his two sons, Don and Dean, assumed operation of the company and 1980 they relocated the business to it's current offices in Winamac.

He tried fighting for the railroad property when the railroad went out but failed to get it accomplished - he came to David and borrowed the abstract to the back lot - since we were one of the very few people who still had copies of their abstracts, as you see by the one for the house lot it detailed ll the area and the history of the major land transfer's for the area from South main street to the lake and showed the railroad transactions.

the area by the time they closed in the late 1970's or early 1980's contained the following parcels:

HAWKINS ADD LOT 15
HAWKINS ADD LOT 20
DESC: 15' S CEN LN N 1/3 LOT 1 & 50' W CEN

1980's-19 Aug. 1991 - Dean 'Skip' & La Donna Smith

Part of the old Grist mill was still standing and old barn that sat on Hawkins Addition Lot #15 the late 1980's as David Burns repaired the stone foundation and also laid stones walls on each side of the ramp into the building for 'Skip' Dean Smith.



These post pillars which were located on Mills Street in 2005-2006 were built c. 1984-5 by David Burns for Dean 'Skip' Smith who owned the property at that time. I am not sure if these posts still exists today or not but there was a set on each end of the old standard bulk plant property - at the entrance/exit on Mill Street and Hawkins Court.



In 1992 when the Tardy's acquired the property at 422 S. Plymouth, which the residence on the property was also razed between Sept. 1992 and March 1993 and it is likely that at the same time the barn was razed also.

10 Aug. 1991-2015 - Yellow Stone Corp/M. Eugene Tardy Jr. Estate

HAWKINS ADD LOT 15
HAWKINS ADD LOT 20
DESC: 15' S CEN LN N 1/3 LOT 1 & 50' W CEN

The area as it looks today -- and broke down into labeled parcels

DESC: PRT W1/2 NW DESC:W1/4 COR E 1030.15'