John Henry Fairbank
John Henry Fairbank | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Henry Fairbank July 21, 1831 Rouse's Point, New York, United States |
| Died | February 10, 1914 Petrolia, Lambton County, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Surveyor, Oilman, Inventor, Banker and Politician |
John Henry Fairbank (July 21, 1831 - February 10, 1914) was variously a surveyor, oilman, inventor, banker, politician and fire chief in Lambton County, Ontario. Fairbank is best known for his invention of the jerker-line pumping system, which quickly spread across the world its introduction in the mid-1860s. Fairbank Oil, established by Fairbank in 1861, is the oldest continually operating petroleum company, and the company's property, known as the "First Commercial Oil Field", is included in the List of National Historic Sites of Canada in Ontario.