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Partly-printed DS signed “John D. Rockefeller” and "H. M. Flagler," one page, 15.5 x 7.75, February 21, 1889. Stock certificate for 100 shares in Rockefeller's Standard Oil Trust issued to renowned chemist and mining engineer Herman Frasch, signed at the conclusion by John D. Rockefeller as president, Henry M. Flagler as secretary, and Joel Francis Freeman as treasurer. The original receipt, which remains affixed at the left edge, is signed by Rockefeller’s private secretary, George D. Rogers, who also signs on the reverse. In fine condition.
John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) was a business magnate and philanthropist whose Standard Oil empire made him the wealthiest man in the world. Henry Flagler (1830-1913) was a real estate and railroad entrepreneur who also co-founded Standard Oil, remembered for his efforts to make Florida the 'Newport of the South' by providing extensive rail access and grand hotels to lure wealthy vacationers.
Herman Frasch was a chemist, mining engineer, and inventor (1851–1914) known for his work with petroleum and sulfur. Between 1885 and 1887, Frasch discovered that adding copper oxide during distillation removed sulfur from oil. Around the same time, Standard Oil expanded into Lima, Ohio, where it found similarly sulfurous crude. Recognizing the value of his work, Standard hired Frasch in July 1886, offering him ‘a salary higher than that of any other scientist in the country,’ and an exchange of his shares in the Empire Oil Company for Standard Oil shares. Working for the Solar Refining Company in Lima (a Standard Oil subsidiary), Frasch perfected his desulfurization method, which Standard patented and monopolized until 1905, making the Lima fields extremely profitable. Frasch became wealthy as Standard’s stock price rose from $168 to $820 per share, with dividends increasing from 7 to 40 percent.
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