On January 11, 1919, Cyril Refining Company (“Cyril”) was incorporated by some of the leading townsmen of Cyril, Oklahoma. According to the articles of incorporation, the stated purpose of Cyril was: “Refining of petroleum and its products, and laying pipelines, leasing and mining for oil and gas, and minerals, and authority to buy and sell oil and gas leases.”

Its main purpose however, was to build a refiner that would have as its raw product, the crude oil from the nearby Cement Field which had been discovered in 1917.

The partnership, Anderson & Prichard, had not yet entered the Cyril picture, but they were aware of the firm and patiently waited for the proper opportunity to join in. They did not have long to wait.

The Cyril Refining Company became distressed through a sequence of initial manpower shortage and mounting debts, and by September of 1919, the Anderson-Prichard partners offered 1,400 shares of its stock in return for controlling interest in Cyril. Their partnership also brought in a supply of additional credit as well as a supply of crude oil.

Unfortunately, the additional assets provided by Anderson-Prichard were insufficient to overcome the problems that sand-bagged Cyril, and the assets of Cyril Refining Company were placed under the responsibility of a receiver. On February 19, 1922, the District Court for Caddo County order the receiver to sell all of the assets, and by June, the Cyril company faded out of existence.