2,000 MILES: You might call him a footnote in Bradford history.
Or, better yet, a “handnote.”

With the 125th anniversary of the Bradford refinery approaching,
the newsroom has been buzzing about all things oil. But a letter we
received from Carl Roggenbaum of Spring Arbor, Mich., provides us
an interesting “new” tidbit about the history of the- then Kendall
refinery.

His brother’s hand provided the model for the two fingers raised
in a “V” which was featured on all Kendall motor oil cans. The
brother in question was Joseph Roggenbaum.

Carl writes, “In those early days, when Kendall became famous
for ‘the 2,000-mile oil,’ Joe’s hand was the model with the two
fingers of the logo.”

Joseph was employed 40-plus years at the Kendall.

“He painted tanks, etc., during the summer of his college years,
and upon graduation became purchasing agent for Kendall. This would
have been from the early ’30s into the ’70s,” Carl says.

ARG, the company which superseded what was long known as “the
Kendall,” has gala plans for the community next month when it
celebrates the big 1-2-5.

Carl’s family has all kinds of ties to the oil industry in
Bradford – some going back to the early days.

“I grew up in Bradford (Sawyer) until I moved away in 1954.
However, we have been back numerous times to see relatives and
friends and followed its news closely.”

His father, also Carl Roggenbaum, was employed at Kendall
refinery for several years.

“He had an excellent relationship with Otto Koch, the owner of
the refinery. In its beginning times, Carl drove the horse team
that delivered all the refinery products.

“Then he became foreman and oversaw the construction (with Lon
Crawford) as the refinery grew rapidly into a foremost force in the
industry for many years. In 1939, he retired to oversee the family
‘oil lease,’ which sold crude oil to the Kendall for a long
time.

“These refinery construction times were prior to the later big
equipment machines. Poles with ‘guy lines,’ tackle and pulleys were
used to move 90-ton ‘stills’ and other equipment into place.”

Carl tells us his father-in-law, Kenneth ‘Armie’ Armstrong, was
employed by the South Penn Oil Co.

“In this capacity, he was likely acquainted with more of the
division of oil property in the entire oil field than any other one
individual, with his traveling all over the area,” he says.