Wood River Refinery History Museum

05/27/2026

May 1956 - 70 years ago: while large projects at Wood River Refinery receive a lot of attention, just as important are the many activities that keep WRR's process units running safely and reliably. The May Shell Review highlighted one such activity involving a troublesome heat exchanger in a difficult service.

05/17/2026

May 1976 - 50 years ago: the Wood River Review highlighted the Utilities Department, which, although not processing crude or making refined products, is nonetheless critical to WRR's operation. This was true from the earliest days of the refinery to the current day. Utilities produces steam that is used for heating & powerful turbines and compressed air for hundreds of valves & certain instruments. The Utilities Control Center (UCC) was the first refinery unit to be upgraded to microprocessor controls.

05/13/2026

05/06/2026

May 1986 - 40 years ago: the Wood River Review highlighted the Dispatching Department, whose employees oversee the shipment of products from Wood River Refinery. Then, as now, the majority of products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel) are shipped via pipelines (which we highlighted in a posting last year). Some products, such as asphalt, are shipped via Mississippi River barges. Propane is shipped via tank cars and tank trucks.

05/02/2026

A homework assignment: the Museum wants to preserve all aspects of WRR's history, including recognizing the many employees who contributed over the years. Unfortunately, the Museum has too many photos without captions, such as this one. Was it one of the many communications workshops held for supervisors? Where was it taken? Who are the attendees? If you can help, please comment below.

For example, front row, second from left is Henry Ugo, Utilities Dept.

04/21/2026

April 1946 - 80 years ago: the Shell review highlighted the very important role Shell - in particular Wood River Refinery - played in producing 100 octane aviation gasoline during World War II. The article refers to the publication "Shell-Soldier and Civilian," which was distributed to employees. (Not sure if the museum has a copy of this publication; we'll have to search our archives.)

Note how the graph shows the price of 100 octane avgas decreasing from almost $2.50 per gallon in 1934 to a little less than 15 cents per gallon during WWII. This was due to advances in refining processes, especially alkylation. But keep in mind two things:

1) those prices don't include taxes, and

2) adjusting for inflation, the 1934 price equates to ~$60 today while the WWII price equates to ~$3.

04/10/2026

April 1986 - 40 years ago: the Wood River Review highlighted Wood River Refinery's Maintenance Department. Obviously, outstanding maintenance is critical to keeping a facility as large and complex as WRR running reliably, and many specialized and talented craftsmen are involved to successfully provide it.

04/05/2026

April 1956 - 70 years ago: for a long time one of the popular annual activities Wood River Refinery has sponsored for employees' families is an Easter Egg Hunt. For how long a time? Well, the April 1956 Shell Review includes some scenes of an Easter Egg Hunt, and that was 70 years ago. Happy Easter everyone!

03/27/2026

March 1986 - 40 years ago: the effort known as Major Projects was winding down. Unlike the construction of a large new processing unit, Major Projects instead involved many efficiency and reliability improvements to multiple existing refinery units, as well as control system and electrical system upgrades.

For personnel supporting the projects a Major Projects Organization (MPO) trailer complex was assembled, in the middle of the refinery where Dubbs 17 & 18 were previously located. After Major Projects ended the trailers became offices for the Fuels Department and other refinery support personnel. This continued until Main Office South was built.

03/17/2026

Barney Pitchford obituary -

Barney Michael Pitchford, 86, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin, and friend died at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Hawthorne Inn of Jerseyville. Born September 10, 1939, in Sesser, Illinois, he was the son of Clyde and Marie (Thomas) Pitchford.

Mike (Barney) was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a member of the North Alton Southern Baptist Church. Mike held many jobs during his lifetime, and he loved talking about them. He retired as a pipefitter after many long years working at Shell Refinery.

On June 5, 1965, he married Margaret Ann Barrow. She was the love of his life and the two were devoted to each other. Margaret died on March 21, 2023.

Mike is survived by one sister, Gladys Hindelang, of Edwardsville, nephews Jeff, Craig, and Brian Hindelang, nieces, Julie Burgess, Linda (Jim) Allen, Charlotte (Clint) Hill, several great nieces and nephews, aunts, Dorothy Hazelwonder and Leona Hawkins, and several cousins.

Besides his parents and wife, Mike was preceded in death by brothers Clyde Earl and Kenneth Ray Pitchford.

Mike (Barney) was a storyteller extraordinaire. His specialty was telling tall tales in which he was the main character. People will remember him as a talker who loved to share jokes and riddles and regale those he met with all kinds of trivia. Mike never met a stranger. He enjoyed reading, memorizing scripture, and making crafts (whittling monkeys from peach pits, creating Jacob's ladders, crafting beaded reindeer, etc.). Mike was generous – with his time, with his talents, with his possessions, and with the candy he carried in his pocket to distribute to others. Mike loved animals, especially dogs.

He also loved people, and he and Margaret helped many during their lifetime together. Those who knew Mike (Barney) will never forget him – he certainly left an impression. Those who knew him well, will miss him, not so much for the many stories he repeatedly told, but because we knew his big heart and his positive outlook when it came to people; especially to the people he loved.

03/11/2026

Jeff Greer obituary -

J. Jeffrey Greer, 75, went to meet Jesus at 2:19 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at his residence. He was born on September 17, 1950, in East St. Louis, Illinois, the son of the late Billy H. Greer and Shirley Roberts Pauley.

He married the former Carolyn Sue Miser on May 15, 1970, in Wood River, and she preceded him in death on September 17, 2004. He later married the former Linda Madison on January 21, 2006, and she preceded him in death on June 21, 2008.

Survivors include a daughter, Stephanie Palmer; a son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Kellie Greer; three grandchildren, Brendan Palmer and his wife Tamara, Sydnie Palmer, and Christian Greer; two great-grandchildren, John and Aurora; a sister and brother-in-law, Connie and Jim Hickerson; a brother and sister-in-law, Darin and Traci McCall; along with many nieces, nephews, and other extended family and dear friends.

Jeff worked as a pipefitter for forty years at the refinery and was known for his strong work ethic and dedication to providing for his family. He attended Emmanuel Free Methodist Church in Alton, where his faith was an important part of his life.

Jeff had a servant’s heart and generously volunteered his time at the Community Hope Center, where he enjoyed helping others and giving back to the community. He loved spending time outdoors, especially crappie fishing at the Lake of the Ozarks, one of his favorite places. He also had a passion for taking long rides on his Harley, enjoying the open road and the freedom it brought.

More than anything, Jeff treasured time with his family. Known lovingly by many as “Pop,” he especially loved being with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, creating memories with them and sharing stories, laughter, and encouragement.

Above all else, Jeff loved Jesus and lived his life with a deep and abiding faith that guided how he loved and served others.

In addition to his parents and wives, Jeff was preceded in death by a great-granddaughter, Adaline Eve; a sister, Rebecca Tanner; a brother, Chris Greer; and a niece, Meghan Hickerson.