H. J. Westberry Turpentine Company

Turpentine - Located in the Fenholloway area. John Westberry recalls vividly the still operated by his father. It was located in the vicinity of Foley. He recalls that a Leander Crabtree supervised operation of the still for his father. In addition to the still, Mr. Westberry owned a coopering shop to make turpentine barrels. Here the staves were inserted in the base of the barrel. Bands were placed around the barrel to make the staves snug and tight. Westberry recalls that as workers tightened the bands they beat a tune to help make their labor easier. He spoke of the cooking of the gum in the large copper kettle. Of how the rosin was strained through hardware cloth with the leavings or dross being used for fires.

The H. J. Westberry still burned down in 1936. The Perry Herald reported that everything was lost in the fire, including a shipment of turpentine spirits that would have helped to get the company back o its feet after a tremendous loss due to a September storm.