Weible, Harry C.

The following data is extracted from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans.

Harry C. Weible. When it is stated that Harry C. Weible moved out from Pennsylvania to Independence about thirteen years ago, it will be readily surmised that he is connected in some way with the oil or gas industry, and he is in fact one of the large oil producers in the Mid-Continent field and from his headquarters at Coffeyville directs extensive operations not only in Southern Kansas but in Oklahoma and Texas.

Practically reared in the oil fields of Western Pennsylvania, he is the son of a veteran of the industry. Mr. Weible was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, January 16, 1858. He was still a child when his grandfather Weible died. His grandfather was born in Allegheny County in the very early days, and died there after a career as a farmer. He married a Miss Ferguson, who died in Allegheny County, and of their children the only one now living is William Weible, an uncle of Harry C., and a retired oil producer at Allegheny City. The Weibles came originally from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania in colonial times.

Isaac Weible, father of Harry C., was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1821. He was reared and married in his native locality, took up farming as his first vocation, and with the discoveries of oil in the western counties of his native state he entered the fields as a producer and operator in Venango and Butler Counties. For many years his home was at Karns City in Butler County, where he died in 1894. He held a number of town offices there, and was an active republican, and was one of the leading members and supporters of the Methedist Church. Isaac Weible married Catherine Myers, who was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1819 and died at Karns City in 1903. George, the oldest of their children, now a resident of Mannington, West Virginia, for many years was a gauger along the pipe lines for the Standard Oil Company. Charles, the second in age, is an oil producer in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Thomas lives at Greenville, Pennsylvania, had also been in the oil business, had several large farms, and is one of the noted horsemen of his section of the state. Mary first married Dr. Beard, a meat dealer and a traveling representative for a wholesale meat house, who died when quite young; for her second husband she married Mr. Adams, who was a railroad contractor and is also deceased, and she now makes her home at Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. The fifth in age is Harry C. Weible of Coffeyville. William H. lives near Toledo, Ohio, and is foreman for the Ohio Oil Company. Margaret is the wife of D. C. Macon, an oil producer in California. Jennie married A. D. Sutton, a resident of Lima, Ohio, and a buyer for the Standard Oil Company.

With nearly all the members of his family in some way connected with the oil industry, Harry C. Weible grew up in the atmosphere of the oil fields of Western Pennsylvania, and at the age of fifteen left the public schools of Venango County and began as a pumper. With experience he developed into a contractor and later was a producer in Butler and McKean Counties of Pennsylvania and also in the fields around Lima, Ohio. In 1903 he came to Independence, Kansas, but after a short time moved in July of that year to Coffeyville, where he had since had his home and business headquarters. At the present time Mr. Weible had productions in the Ohio fields, in the Kansas and Oklahoma fields, and some gas interests in Texas. He owned a farm in Oklahoma and had some oil wells upon it.

Mr. Weible is president of the Texas Central Gas Company, of the Robert Packing Machine Company of Coffeyville, is vice president of the People's State Bank of Coffeyville, and is manager of the Sequoyah Oil Company, of the Condry Oil Company, the Weible and Coovan Oil Company and the Weible and Hoffman Oil Company.

His home is at 603 Elm Street in Coffeyville. Mr. Weible is a republican, a member of the Methodist Church, and his fraternal affiliations are with Keystone Lodge No. 102, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons at Coffeyville, Coffeyville Chapter No. 89, Royal Arch Masons, Lochinvar Commandery No. 52, Knights Templar, and Mirzah Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Pittsburg, Kansas.

In December, 1884, at Franklinville, New York, Mr. Weible married Miss Paula Hazzard, daughter of John and Ellen (Latham) Hazzard. Both her parents are deceased and her father was in the lumber business. Mr. and Mrs. Weible have two children. Fern finished her education in the Hardin College for Young Women at Mexico, Missouri, and is now the wife of Leonard Hoffman, a resident of Little Rock, Arkansas, where he is chief clerk to the superintendent of the Iron Mountain Railroad. Merl, a resident of Coffeyville, graduated from Baker University, attended the law department of the Kansas State University at Lawrence, where he took his LL. B. degree in 1915, and while building up a practice at Coffeyville is also assisting his father in the oil business.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

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