In the late 1800s and early 1900s hog lice and hog cholera could prove devastating

to livestock producers and the hog oiler was seen as one way to combat the problem.
The first known patent for a hog oiler device was issued in 1902 by the U.S. Patent
Office,[1] however the era of innovation for this device was mainly the years 1913-
1923. According to Goodbye Mr. Louse, a book by Robert Rauhauser, there may have
been as many as 157 different patented models of hog oilers, but collectors today
estimate there could have been as many as 600 manufacturers, most going unpatented.
[2]

Prices for hog oilers would range anywhere from four dollars for a small model to
twelve dollars and even higher for larger ones with more features. The same
companies that manufactured the oilers would often sell special medicated oil to be
used with the device, offering further protection. Many farmers however simply
chose to use recycled oil or made their own cheaper versions. The U.S. government,
while being willing to issue patents, suggested that the oilers might be less than
effective, according to collector Bob Coates in Farm Collector magazine. "They (the
government) recommended mopping or dipping (the hogs) instead" said Coats.[3]

Companies throughout the midwestern U.S., such as Lisle Manufacturing of Clarinda,

Iowa, offered farmers and hog producers a variety of styles and sizes including
fence-mounted, stand-alone, walk-through and ratchet-governed. However the most
common were double-wheel models known as Colubians and Sipes. Often made of cast
iron, the early hog oilers could be quite heavy, with some models weighing as much
as 150 pounds. Later models from the 1920s onward would mostly be constructed of
cheaper, lighter steel and sheet metal. Other known manufacturers of hog oilers
included the National Oiler Company of Richmond, Indiana, Rowe Manufacturing,
Galesburg, Illinois, and Starbuck Manufacturing, Illinois Implement Company, and
O.H.C.Manufacturing, all of Peoria, Illinois.[4]
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