David B. Crawford
David B. Crawford was president of the Parkersburg Rig and Reel Company, an oil field equipment manufacturer founded in 1896. The company was one of the city’s primary employers for 70 years. Known for its wooden drilling rigs, the company’s expansion fueled Parkersburg’s growth as an industrial center.
As refining took a downturn in the 1890s, oil rig equipment manufacturing started to boom. In 1932, engineers at Crawford’s company produced and patented the first hydromatic brake for rotary oil drilling rigs which was used to control the descent of the drill pipe into the well.
These brakes were produced and sold by the company in West Virginia until 1958 when production was transferred to Coffeyville, Kansas. In 1966, Parkersburg Rig and Reel became Parmac, Inc., a subsidiary of Maloney Crawford Tank.
Of Note
About the Images
Advertisements for Parkersburg Rig and Reel products appeared in industry publications across the country.
The Agricultural College of West Virginia was a predecessor of West Virginia University. The school was founded as part of the Federal Land-Grant Schematic of a hydromatic brake system