1908 American Petroleum Company Letter – Edward L. Doheny, President – Hand Signed by Vice President J.O. Anderson – First Dividend Payment – Historic California Oil Ephemera

Own a remarkable piece of the early California oil boom—an original American Petroleum Company business letter dated November 2, 1908, from a company led by one of the most influential figures in American petroleum history, Edward L. Doheny.

This original letter is printed on official American Petroleum Company letterhead listing E. L. Doheny as President, J. O. Anderson as Vice President, and Norman Bridge as Secretary and Treasurer. It is personally hand-signed by Vice President J. O. Anderson and was sent to W. H. Fletcher, an early Los Angeles oil investor during the formative years of Southern California’s petroleum industry.

The letter announces the payment of Dividend No. 1, enclosing a check for $11.50—a seemingly modest amount today, but a tangible reminder of the optimism and growth surrounding California’s rapidly expanding oil business in the early twentieth century. Documents marking a company’s first dividend are historically significant because they represent the transition from speculation to profitability.

This letter captures a fascinating moment in history when Los Angeles was transforming into one of the world’s great oil-producing regions. Edward L. Doheny helped shape that transformation, building an empire that would become one of the most influential oil enterprises in America. His name remains synonymous with the California oil boom and the legendary fortunes—and controversies—of the Gilded Age.

Unlike ordinary business correspondence, this document connects multiple important figures from that era:

* Edward L. Doheny, President of American Petroleum Company and one of America’s pioneering oil magnates.

* J. O. Anderson, whose original signature appears on the letter.

* W. H. Fletcher, an early Los Angeles oil investor and recipient of this historic correspondence.

Details

* Date: November 2, 1908

* Company: American Petroleum Company

* President Listed: Edward L. Doheny

* Hand Signed: J. O. Anderson, Vice President

* Recipient: W. H. Fletcher

* Subject: Dividend No. 1 payment

* Location: Los Angeles, California

* Original vintage document (not a reproduction)

A scarce survivor from the dawn of California’s petroleum industry and an outstanding addition to any serious collection of oil history, Western Americana, or financial ephemera.