Which company founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870 dominated the oil industry?

Standard Oil was the company founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870 that came to dominate the American oil industry.

Rockefeller and his partners had operated an Ohio refining partnership since 1863. In 1870, they incorporated Standard Oil of Ohio with $1 million in capital. Rockefeller emphasized reliable quality and efficient distribution, while aggressive acquisitions, favorable railroad rates, and later pipelines helped the business expand rapidly.

By the 1880s, Standard Oil controlled much of the refining, transportation, and marketing of petroleum in the United States. Its power was reorganized through the Standard Oil Trust in 1882, an arrangement that let affiliated companies operate across state boundaries. The company became a symbol of both industrial efficiency and monopoly power.

A common mix-up is ExxonMobil: it is one of Standard Oil’s successors, formed through the later history of Standard Oil of New Jersey. In 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Standard Oil dissolved under antitrust law, producing 39 successor companies.