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Jacob Jay Vandergrift (1827-1899) was an American pioneer of the bulk oil transportation industry. In 1861, he towed two large coal boats loaded with 4,000 empty barrels to Oil City, PA with his steamer, the Red Fox. While delivering the barrels, he bought 5,000 barrels worth of oil. To get the oil back to Pittsburgh, he had a contractor build 12 boats, 80 feet long, 14 feet wide and three feet deep, each with a capacity of 400 barrels. With these boats Vandergrift launched a very profitable barge business. These boats were the precursors of today's huge tankers.
Vandergrift, Jacob Jay
Vandergrift, Jacob Jay
| Topics: |  Transportation |
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Peter Saundry
Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Vandergrift, Jacob Jay". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 18, 2006; Last revised Date August 18, 2006; Retrieved June 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Vandergrift,_Jacob_Jay>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
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