Early in the summer of 1921 the Lewistown Oil and Refining Company built and operated a refinery on a very small commercial scale to demonstrate that it was possible and profitable to refine the high grade crude oil from Cat Creek. Then first operations were looked upon as more or less of an experiment but under the active management, it did not take long to make a successful demonstration. Ground was broken July 5th and within sixty days a very high grade gasoline, under the name of “Pep,” was placed on the market. The plant covered several acres in the south end of the railroad yards and adjoining the shops of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system. It had an unfailing supply of excellent water which pumped 300 feet from Spring Creek. Besides the C.M. & St. P. railway, it has a nearby connection with the Great Northern railway. With these two important connections the company decided to abandon its local retail trade and entered the wholesale field. The average daily amount of crude used for the summer months exceeded 500 barrels when running at half its capacity.
