United States Leather Company

[4][5] The formation of the company was seen as a reaction to problems in the tanning industry, and as a competitive move against the Chicago meat-packing interests.

During the early 1950s, Keta acquired leases in several potential natural gas formations in Pennsylvania and drilled several mediocre wells.

Acting on a shareholder vote to liquidate its assets, Keta's directors valued its 114,000 acres worth of fee rights and leasehold interests at $1/acre and sold the company to Swan-Finch in 1955.

The infamous Lowell Birrell acquired Swan-Finch and used Keta's paper assets to confuse the balance sheets of his other companies in what was considered one of the greatest stock manipulations of the 20th Century.

[9] The following tanning operators and corporations contributed their lands and bark rights to the United States Leather Company.

[12] Many reserved the oil, gas and mineral rights underlying the contributed lands for themselves and their heirs and continue to control these properties to the present day.