gas stations from yesteryear

[Call me the Breeze]

I came across these today, too cool not to share.

http://hipspics.freewebspace.com/gas/gas.html

 

[Amitygravel]

Thanks for posting that Breeze.
Buildings had such style and class.
Station attendants in uniforms.
Manners , service , pride in what you did.
At least we've got the photos.

 

[HOTFR8]

Some great photos on that.

 

[kb2tha]

Thanks for posting those. I especially love the Pontiac woody pulling the aluminum sided camper.

 

[str8axle55]

Great pics, thanks for the link.

 

[Call me the Breeze]

I liked the one with the outdoor parking ramp

 

[JSK]

Thanks for sharing!

A "Registered" Rest Room (4th Pix Down)

 

[uppster]

Here is one. That is my grandad and dad. The photo is from the early 1950's. 18th and Cleveland, Kansas City MO.

 

[rbonitz]

Great picture of a simpler time... Might be my '61 Apache with camper in front of the Standard station...

 

[jaymz1967]

Anybody know how this works? Never seen anything like it.

 

[upndown]

Love the gas prices...still remember .32-.35 per gal.

 

[buzz4041]

Thanks for posting outstanding trip down memory lane.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I figure one day (as I get older) I will see a picture of a station that I remember as a child.



Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

[coljar]

Anybody know how this works? Never seen anything like it.

I don't know how that thing works, but check this out. It was in the town across the river from me and was called the Park-A-Loft. It was built in the 50's and was a dud from the beginning. It had 2 elevators to raise the cars to the different levels and from what I was told, they broke all the time. Bonds were floated by the city to pay for it and it was finally torn down in the 70's after years of non use.

 

[Call me the Breeze]

The Goodyear building was pretty snazzy considering the age of the cars around it

 

[don long]

I enjoyed looking at all of the signage and the old cars

I would love to find that Gilmore lion neon sign (dought I could afford it when it hits ebay)

Thanks Breeze

 

[hchinaski]

Thanks for sharing this! My grandfather was a draftsman who worked on the designs for many Standard Oil stations in the late 40s and 50s.

 

[sfm1951]

Cool pics lots of reference for me. I'm in the process og collecting pieces to make the front of an existing garage look like a 30/ 40 station. Steve

 

[KEH]

Nice! That 33 or 34 Ford sedan with the whitewall tires was neat.

KEH

 

[Sunbimmer]

I came across these today, too cool not to share.

http://hipspics.freewebspace.com/gas/gas.html

Big thanks for this man

 

[Zeke]

Thanks for posting those. I especially love the Pontiac woody pulling the aluminum sided camper.

With the wide rims and skinny white walls. Methinks that is a modern pic.

Great pics from my youth. I worked at one exactly like this:

 

[John Timmins]

Over on a site that is about old Mercury outboards, a guy used to talk about his dad's outboard repair shop.

Somebody asked where it was and he said next to a gas station called THE BOMBER. He told us about it....famous landmark.

There is a web site that tells about THE BOMBER. If I recall the original owner crashed a coujple of B-17s trying to land one nearby.

 

[3798j]

How neat. Particularly like the '55 Nomad, the "Victory Girls" servicing the shark-nose Graham, and the plain-Jane '55 two-door Chevy wagon. Thanks for the great post.

 

[bazzateer]

I want that Goodyear building!

 

[white6589]

Is this like 10% Ethanol or moonshine?

 

[Hawk]

Is this like 10% Ethanol or moonshine?

Yep, nothing new under the sun.

 

[Chris_PT]

I love old service stations and they have a special place in me.
My grandfather owned 2 service stations in our area in the 1970's era. My dad was in college, but eventually became overwhelmed with the amount of work as he ran one of the locations. He eventually came to own that location and still runs it to this day. It still has a 3-bay garage and a full-service gas island (yes, he and his employees still check tire pressures, fluids and clean front and rear windshields).

It's a true family owned and operated business as my dad, mom, brother, sister and myself have all worked or currently work there. I grew up working for him but had to quit as I became a full-time graduate student. The way my dad runs his business, his tireless work ethic and the way he treats his customers translates every single day in the way I work and treat my patients. I couldn't be more blessed to have had such a great dad/mentor/friend or a workplace to develop life-long skills and talents.

Needless to say, I love the pics. Thanks for sharing.

 

[super-six]

Here is one. That is my grandad and dad. The photo is from the early 1950's. 18th and Cleveland, Kansas City MO.

This classic gas station structure still exists. Looks to be in good shape also.

 

[JC23]

Cool beans, Brother Breeze!

Here's a **** load I tripped over by accident...

http://www.ohiobarns.com/othersites/gas/gas.html

 

[sparky36000]

I used to live not far from the Cucamonga service station. The front building was still there about 15 years ago. Cool picture!

 

[CULLY]

very cool, thanks for sharing.

 

[lessersivad]

Pic 16, the color "Sohio" station reminds me of my first "tax paying" job.

It was a Boron station (non Ohio based Sohio). The building still has pumps but it's now a deli/convienence store.

We would get a notice that an inspection would be coming up so we would spiff the place up by painting the curbs at the pump islands and so forth.

We would keep up on the appearance during the year by keeping the restrooms clean, wash windows etc., but when it came to inspection time we really stepped it up.

The station won a "Sparkle Award" for a lot of years.

Seeing all those pics reminds me also of how many "full service" stations this town had operating at the same time.

There were at least 5 full service and 1 that only sold gas but no repairs.

Ahhh, memories.

 

[coljar]

Pic 16, the color "Sohio" station reminds me of my first "tax paying" job.

It was a Boron station (non Ohio based Sohio). The building still has pumps but it's now a deli/convienence store.

We would get a notice that an inspection would be coming up so we would spiff the place up by painting the curbs at the pump islands and so forth.

We would keep up on the appearance during the year by keeping the restrooms clean, wash windows etc., but when it came to inspection time we really stepped it up.

The station won a "Sparkle Award" for a lot of years.

Seeing all those pics reminds me also of how many "full service" stations this town had operating at the same time.

There were at least 5 full service and 1 that only sold gas but no repairs.

Ahhh, memories.

I worked at a SOHIO for about a year in the later 70's and haven't thought about those inspections in a long time. We done the same kind of prep work beforehand. I remember the girl that was in charge of our area, mainly because she was a real knockout. but a real b**ch.

 

[lessersivad]

I worked at a SOHIO for about a year in the later 70's and haven't thought about those inspections in a long time. We done the same kind of prep work beforehand. I remember the girl that was in charge of our area, mainly because she was a real knockout. but a real b**ch.

I don't recall ever being at work when the inspection took place.

I was still in high school and my work hours were Tuesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. till 8 p.m. , Saturday and Sunday from opening till 4 p.m.

I brought home a whopping $47 a week and had the world by the tail.

When gas started going up and finally hit 99.9¢ a gallon that was as high as we could go because the pumps didn't have a "dollar" wheel....LOL.

 

[Bob Hall]

I don't know how that thing works, but check this out. It was in the town across the river from me and was called the Park-A-Loft. It was built in the 50's and was a dud from the beginning. It had 2 elevators to raise the cars to the different levels and from what I was told, they broke all the time. Bonds were floated by the city to pay for it and it was finally torn down in the 70's after years of non use.

That's funny, I can't believe someone else here remembers that thing. I was very young and just remember it was empty and dad laughed at it. Wasn't it near the old Sears store?

 

[coljar]

That's funny, I can't believe someone else here remembers that thing. I was very young and just remember it was empty and dad laughed at it. Wasn't it near the old Sears store?

Yes Bob, it was real close. Here's a picture of Sears taken from the Park-A-Loft. It set where the United bank building is now. My dad laugh at it, too.

 

[SteveL]

Thanks for posting that link! Now I just wish that there was site like that showing the interiors.

 

[Joe B.]

One of those garages is still standing on the old Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. I grew up in the area and was surprised to see the picture of it when I scrolled down. It only took a few seconds to find out more about it. (I had totally forgotten about it.) Apparently there is a local restoration effort. I wish them a great deal of luck.

Current State:
http://www.route66ca.us/

More Pictures:
http://dutchpreston.com/uncategorized/cucamonga-garage/

Then:

Today:
View media item 27195

 

[brownbagg]

that not the same bldg

 

[bazzateer]

that not the same bldg

Looks exactly the same to me. The workshop to the right has been demolished but the main bit with the pumps out front looks exactly the same.