The History of the Standard Oil Company for Standard Oil and lived through what Ida called "hate, suspicion, and fear that engulfed the community." As a direct witness to the schemes and horizontal integration of John D. Rockefeller and his associates, Tarbell began building the foundations of "The History of the Standard Oil Company" early with growing senses of interest and discontent. After her education and accumulate writing experience, Tarbell began working at "McClure's" Magazine, where she wrote several successful series on historical figures. After this initial success, her shift turned to John D. Rockefeller. She began by interviewing Henry H. Rogers, one of her father's fellow
Associated Oil Company properties. The presidents of the companies were: W. G. Kerckhoff for Reed Crude Oil Company; Burton E. Green for Green-Whittier Oil Company; Charles A. Canfield for Canfield Oil Company; M. H. Whittier for Kern Oil Company; John A. Bunting for San Joaquin Oil & Development Company. Securing agreements from 34 other oil companies in the area the Associated Oil Company was incorporated on October 7, 1901 and on January 1, 1902 began actively producing and marketing crude oil. The Standard Oil Company and the Southern Pacific Railroad acquired an interest in Associated Oil for the purposes of transporting their own