• TOPICS
    • Design
    • Manufacturing
    • Inspection
    • Heat Treating
    • Lubrication
    • Materials
    • The Gear Industry
    • Gears by Type
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Departments
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Subscribe
  • VIDEO
    • Gear Technology TV
      • Ask the Expert Live
      • Revolutions
    • Industry Videos
  • BLOGS
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • NEWS and EVENTS
    • Product News
    • Industry News
    • Events
  • ADVERTISING
    • Brand Awareness
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
    • Response & Lead Generation
      • Online: Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • Online: Buyers Guide
    • Print Advertising
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Print: IMTS Showstoppers
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
      • Print: Specifications
    • Online Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • Online: Buyers Guide
      • Online: Specifications
    • E-mail Advertising
      • E-mail: E-Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: AGMA Industry News
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Specifications
    • Special Promotions
      • Print: IMTS Showstoppers
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
    • GT India
  • CONTACT US
  • AGMA
    • Membership
    • Events
    • Education
    • Emerging Technology
    • AGMA Media
    • Standards
Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Blogs » Gear Talk With Chuck » Origin Stories

Gear Talk With Chuck
Gear Talk With Chuck RSS FeedRSS

The Gear Industry / Environment / History / Sectors / Mining
Charles schultz
Chuck Schultz is a licensed engineer, Gear Technology Technical Editor, and Chief Engineer for Beyta Gear Service. He has written the "Gear Talk with Chuck" blog for Gear Technology since 2014.

Origin Stories

July 11, 2017
Charles D. Schultz
No Comments
Once in a while we need to take a break from the “honey do” list and start becoming familiar with our community. A trip to a nearby state park that commemorates the beginnings of the oil industry got me thinking about “origin stories” again. I’ve posted before about some of the interesting tales surrounding a few of the gear companies I have been associated with. Only a few began with the intention of making gears. The account of the man associated with drilling in what is now the park is similarly indirect. In his case, it was a dream of romancing a Native American beauty and being chased by her kinfolk through the forest. Someone fired an arrow at the fleeing suitor and it struck the ground causing a spurt of oil. Sometime later, the young man was visiting his brother’s homestead, “recognized” the scenery, and the brothers quickly found their “gusher.” The account reminded me of the preamble to The Beverly Hillbillies — there it was, immortalized at taxpayer expense on plaques in a state park. It was widely known in the 1850s that oil bubbled from the ground in Western Pennsylvania, so a family patriarch can be forgiven for making the story a bit more interesting. I certainly had no idea of getting into the gear trade back in 1971. I needed a job, had drafting skills, and applied for apprenticeships at several Milwaukee (WI) area companies. No doubt a different “me” would exist today if the mining shovel, crane, or motorcycle folks had called me in for an interview. Looking back, my hometown had more than its share of wonderful, world-class manufacturers where a kid could build a career. The new hometown celebrates its history, but seems to lack a plan for the future. Politicians talk a lot about job creation “strategies.” Unfortunately, many of those strategies seem as fanciful as a miss-fired arrow making the ground erupt in oil. What will be the spark that animates the next generation of gear manufacturers?

Recent Comments

Thank you for this - Happy Saint Patrick's...

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
FEATURED VIDEO
  • A Look at Helios Gear
March 14, 2019
RECOMMENDED
  • Transportation Alterations

    October 5, 2023
    gt0923_Page_32_Image_0001.jpg
  • Motion + Power in the Motor City

    August 28, 2023
    gt0823_pg_32_Image_0001.jpg
  • Hot Technologies to Help Cool the Planet

    August 28, 2023
    gt0823_Page_26_Image_0001.jpg
  • Three Days in Motown—Every Gear Is Here

    October 5, 2023
    gt0923_Page_22_Image_0001.jpg
  • In the Spotlight: Heat Treat 2023

    October 5, 2023
    gt0923_Page_38_Image_0001.jpg
  • Three Days in Motown—Every Gear Is Here

    October 5, 2023
    gt0923_Page_22_Image_0001.jpg
  • In the Spotlight: Heat Treat 2023

    October 5, 2023
    gt0923_Page_38_Image_0001.jpg
  • Transportation Alterations

    October 5, 2023
    gt0923_Page_32_Image_0001.jpg
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • AGMA
Powered byAGMA
Copyright © 2023 Gear Technology
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact