Life at the gas station

[electra225]

I found this video and thought some of you might enjoy it. I ran a Standard Oil station like the ones in the video with the big porcelein tile exterior and three service bays. The pumps nearest the building were under a canopy, the outside set was in the open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2pNawJSP0M

[19&41]

Man, it seemed like they worked so hard and so fast to strip all the decoration, signage, lights and pumps to make things look so sparse and simple. I can remember the old standard brick stations with the sweeping walls and the little torch appliques. There were some stations in Indiana that had neon signs as big as the stations.

[TC Chris]

In my hometown there are two old stations across a main street from each other. One was a ca. 1960 prefab Standard station. The other was an earlier porcelain Cities Service of Sinclair, can't remember beyond the green and white. Both are now repair shops, both of many years and solid reputations. In TC where I live now there is a wonderful 1930s station, light green glazed terra cotta with off-white & black tile trim and a row of shiny gold tile up above the front door. It's also a repair shop. See it here:

https://www.randysoldetowneservice.com/About-Us

Chris Campbell

[William]

Here's another station that still exists but now services as a restaurant, and the burgers are really good.

https://www.stationgrill.com/

Bill

[electra225]

I wonder if someone built a gas station to replicate one of those if they could make any money. Have full service and a service bay just like in the good old days. With a pop cooler with the coldest soda pop in town, a few chairs for the loafers, and a glass display case with chewing gum, cigarette lighters and other tourist trap goodies for sale under where the cash register sat. You stacked quarts of oil and gallons of antifreeze in a pyramid shape in the front windows, that were always brown on the inside from car exhaust and cigarette smoke. And the smell. They talk about the new car smell, but the smell of an old gas station is memorable. I can still smell it. The Co-op smelled like feed. Bill Dixon's barber shop smelled like shoe polish and cheap cologne. Willitz's Hardware Store smelled like turpentine, paint.

[19&41]

Such a station would be possible, but pause to imagine how much the gas and services would be and if many people would spend the extra to get served. That price difference killed off the last full service stations.

[electra225]

There is still a full-service Sinclair station in Scottsdale, AZ. Used to be Texaco for probably 40 years. I used to work for the family. They are about 75 cents a gallon higher than anyplace else on the planet. They don't have any shortage of customers. Been there since 1970. Bil Keane, the guy who drew the cartoon "Family Circus" was a customer there and actually featured that station in one of his cartoons. Mr. Keane had a '73 Mustang that I worked on frequently. You got your windows washed all around, got your tires checked, and the fluids under the hood checked. About 75% of the work in the backroom was sold on the drive.

[Firedome]

Hemmings Motor News has an authentically re-created 30s gas station near their offices in Bennington VT, sells gas out of old pumps with uniformed attendants etc., quite a draw for the New England and NY old car people, and they put on a big show every year.

There's 2 original white porcelain '40s/'50s gas stations in 2 small towns about 20 miles outside of Binghamton, both closed and untouched probably since the '70s or '80s. One was an Atlantic, the other I'm not sure. I've thought it'd be cool to retstore the one that's for sale in the bigger of the 2 towns (pop 965) and sell vintage cars out of it, with 2 Gilbarco 1950s pump for gassing up out front. I have a pic of a typical station just like it gassing up a 1958 car I'll attach when I get home.

My great-Uncle Clyde had a small Texaco station and repair shop in S. Woodstock VT from 1922 to the early 70s, starting out with Model Ts then As, what most rural Vermonters drove. He didn't have one of those fancy white buildings, only a wood-frame 2 story with 2 bays and a small office downstairs and an apartment upstairs where he and my great-Aunt Sue lived all their adult lives. I know when he started as I have the plaque Texaco sent him for 25 years of service dated 1947. He never had any help, it was just him. When he died my old-car loving Uncle and I went there and retrieved a lot of his tools and equipment, much of it old Ford stuff. He sold Exide batteries and Goodyear tires, that old sign was still on the building last time I drove by. I got the porcelain sign off his Fire Chief pump and a few knick-knacks like a Texaco map holder (remember maps? lol), that plaque, and a few other things now in my garage.Clyde was one step up from a blacksmith, he was also president of Vt Bee Keepers Ass'n and made great honey. He could fix anything people brought him, and was your typical small town mechanic. I only saw him a few times when we visited my great-Uncle Arthur who owned the dairy farm across the street and the land Clyde's building was on, both of them were typical old school Vermonters, very hard working, laconic but kind.

[TC Chris]

both of them were typical old school Vermonters, very hard working, laconic but kind.

Right now I'm wearing a belt with a 1940s buckle from Frank Phillips. Frank and his wife Cel ("seal") were two houses over from where I grew up. They were the neighborhood grandparents, tolerant of kids and welcoming them into their home and supervision. Later they took a special interest in a young disabled fellow (we used to say "retarded") and helped him learn skills of independent living. As I'm typing this I have to stop to wipe my eyes. As an older person I came to realize that Frank & Cel's most valuable lessons to us were about the value of kindness and tolerance.

At some point Frank gave an old belt to one of us kids and it ended up in the cottage garage on the floor. A couple years ago I picked it up and brushed enough mud off to see the "F" buckle and cleaned it up. Then I found that it was sterling so it cleaned up very nicely. I added a new leather belt and now it's another reminder of kind people. We need those.

Chris Campbell

[William]

Yes, we do!

Bill

[electra225]

The man I worked for at my first real paid job at a Cities Service station was named Alva. He was a trustee in our church. When he learned of someone who had been sick or who may have lost their job, or were laid up, and their car needed repair, he'd contact them in the name of the church and make arrangements to have their car towed in, repaired, then returned at no charge. The church had nothing to do with it. Alva did it on his own time, on his own dime. He did not want the credit, giving it to the church instead. He believed that real charity did not deserve recognition. He was one of the most decent human beings I ever knew.

[TC Chris]

The man I worked for at my first real paid job at a Cities Service station was named Alva. He was a trustee in our church. When he learned of someone who had been sick or who may have lost their job, or were laid up, and their car needed repair, he'd contact them in the name of the church and make arrangements to have their car towed in, repaired, then returned at no charge. The church had nothing to do with it. Alva did it on his own time, on his own dime. He did not want the credit, giving it to the church instead. He believed that real charity did not deserve recognition. He was one of the most decent human beings I ever knew.

If he had preached at you that it's important to be charitable, it would likely have gone in one ear and out the other. But by demonstrating his principles, he taught you the lesson. And he stands out in your memory.

Once when I was working in my yard 35 years ago, a little neighbor girl was pestering me with questions. My patience was expiring and I was about to bark out some reprimand when I thought of Frank & Cel Phillips and how endlessly patient they had been with me and my siblings. I answered all the other questions with good humor. There's a long list of strangers who gave a hand when I was in a tough spot. I don't now their names but I remember their kindness. It's a good way to be remembered.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

Old Vermont is, and has been, fading fast in the last 40 years, but vestiges remain. Most of the state used to consist of hillside hardscrabble farms, like my great Uncle Arthur's, who had only 20 cows when he gave up in the '60s and went to work for the small-town VW dealer near him. Typically they were frugal, very hard working - had to be to survive - not well off, but generous and kind to fault. All the old relatives are pretty much gone, but still have one great-cousin and his wife in Windsor Co, now in their late 80s, hanging on there. Last saw them about 10 years ago.

Since the '70s VT has been kind of over-run with what they call "flatlanders" mostly from the E coast, but from all over really (a lot of rich Californicators) as it's such an appealing place. Ski-areas, mountains, lakes, gorgeous landscapes and tourism galore, plus, increasingly, high tech jobs with the explosion of home-working and many refugees from the big East coast cities (the latter mostly in urban/suburban Burlington/Chittenden Co...[ the old saw is that one of the best things about Burlington is that it's so close to Vermont] in the last 3 years, but also even in the more rural areas) has largely replaced the marginal farms and drastically changed the nature of it. I dislike the trend intensely, even though I and one of my sons have sort of contributed to that by moving there from Maryland, as has my wife's sister and her age 40 son after visiting us and falling in love with it (how could you not!) Even though my family has been there since the 1760s, much of my parents generation had moved away and my generation was raised where the good jobs were, so I can't really consider myself a native, though the connection is very deep. The standard trope is in a small VT town you aren't a true native unless at least 5 generations have been there. Though they are inevitably kind even to the "flatlanders" the latter aren't considered "one of them". The flip side is that many of the "newcomers" have contributed much to improving the quality of life in many ways to a place lacking in new blood that was sort of inwards-facing and backwards in some ways for many generations.

It's easy to get nostalgic over all the long-gone old farms we used to see driving around in the '50s and '60s when we visited family, but at least VT is very restrictive about development with their Act 250 that requires local support for any project (last of the 50 states to get a Wal-Mart around 1990) much of the rural character outside of Burlington has been preserved.
I have a book of b&w pics of those disappearing hill-side VT farms of my youth, it's comforting to look at.

Here's the promised pic of one of those great old stations we all grew up with. I had one of those '58 Chrysler Windsors about 4 years ago, here I am with it shortly before it went to Sweden... and yes I still have hair at 71, thanks to good Irish and Swedish genes. I'm going to take a drive and get some pics of those 2 remaining original old-timey gas stations that I mentioned earlier, want to preserve what they look like while they're still around.

[Motorola minion]

That Chrysler looks like a N-Y'er (with a Hemi) I saw abandoned on land my uncle bought near Cocoa Fl. It was 1980 and I was eyeballing old MoPars everywhere, as I was becoming quite fond of my 73 Fury II ex-police "boat".

My experiences in VT and NH date to the early 90's, when I made several trips to IBM plant in Essex Junction, usually in winter, to spend all day dressed up and surveying a clean room for major retooling. We stayed at Marriott residence inn and dined on the company card. The only microbrew in town then was Catamount Lager from White River Junction. My cousin lived over the border on his working farm in Lisbon NH and ran a rented Camry over there and forego the nightly feast. That drive away from Burlington on Rt 2 thru Montpelier seemed VERY rural like northern Pa, and returning late when it got dark, it WAS dark the whole way back! I got feeling it would continue to "gentrify" like Firedome said.

Many of those enamel-metal paneled gas stations in Pa survived intact (usually in the less destitute towns) to become a well-run repair business or at a least pizza shop. Unfortunately, PA has a ton of abandoned tacky commercial structures from the later years that are all-too visible.

[electra225]

The Standard Oil station I had was nearly identical to the Amoco station pictured. Standard Oil was the moniker in the midwest, but they used Amoco in the east. Amoco eventually took over the Standard brand in Indiana. Amoco used green trim on their buildings, Standard used red and blue trim. Mine had a triple-fuel furnace in it. Heater oil, diesel fuel or used motor oil. That was an advanced feature for its day. Standard came by in a tanker truck and took my used oil, stored in an underground 1000 gallon tank. They would filter it, then bring it back to burn in the furnace. This was stored in a 500 gallon tank above ground, back behind the station. The company would come around twice a year and pressure wash the tiles on the building. My station had three lift bays plus a double dead bay. I had three guys wrenching and my wife's retired uncle doing part time duty watching the place while I hauled bulk fuel. I burned my candle at both ends in those days and loved every minute. I had a bulk fuel route for Standard that mainly serviced the engines for the new PennCentral railroad. I would cram every drop I could in the 2000 gallon bed on my '72 GMC 6000 truck, 366 with a short-fourth five speed and a two speed axle, 6.50 and 8.85 to one ratio. The train would stop behind my station at precisely 1:50 am each morning. I would pump the engine full, usually 2000 gallons didn't fill it completely. It made a long day when the station opened at 6 every morning except Sunday so people going to work could get gas. My building lease/rent was 3 cents a gallon. That seems almost impossible today. That money paid for everything except payroll, utilities and that kind of thing. The company fixed everything that broke promptly. It was a good outfit to lease from in those days. They offered me all kinds of training, in person, nothing on video.

[TC Chris]

Old Vermont is, and has been, fading fast in the last 40 years, but vestiges remain.

Since the '70s VT has been kind of over-run with what they call "flatlanders" mostly from the E coast, but from all over really (a lot of rich Californicators) as it's such an appealing place. Ski-areas, mountains, lakes, gorgeous landscapes and tourism galore, plus, increasingly, high tech jobs with the explosion of home-working and many refugees from the big East coast cities (the latter mostly in urban/suburban Burlington/Chittenden Co...

Here's the promised pic of one of those great old stations we all grew up with. I had one of those '58 Chrysler Windsors about 4 years ago, here I am with it shortly before it went to Sweden... and yes I still have hair at 71, thanks to good Irish and Swedish genes. I'm going to take a drive and get some pics of those 2 remaining original old-timey gas stations that I mentioned earlier, want to preserve what they look like while they're still around.

My community has the same influx problem. Actually, the problem isn't the influx, which keeps things fresh and has always been a feature of midwestern life. It's the kind of arrivals recently. We have lots of people from the distant coasts and big cities buying up real estate that looks like a bargain by NY or CA standards, but to local folks the competition puts the homes out of reach. The newbies take off for FL in the winter, or visit sporadically and use the house for short-term rentals at other times. Many of them are retired. Meanwhile, young families and blue-collar folks can't live here. They have to find homes at considerable distance and commute. I couldn't afford to live here if I hadn't had a bunch of cash from selling my downstate home in '94 and if I hadn't bought before the market exploded.

And those old Chrysler products.... I have a lot of weaknesses, like Peanut M&Ms. Another one is those wonderful Virgil Exner designs of the late '50s. Compare that Chrysler with a '58 Buick or Olds. 'Nuf said.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

That IBM plant in Essex Junction was, and maybe still is, the biggest private employer in VT (the UVM Medical Center and hospital system is the biggest), It was sold to Global Foundries 7-8 years ago and employment has gone from 8000 to 2500-ish. Rumor is it may close at some point, unfortunately, as it's energy intensive and energy is very expensive there.

The NW part of VT gentrified starting in the early '70s and now has more non-native than natives probably. Same problem with real estate in that part of the state, it's now too expensive for ordinary folks in ordinary professions, a starter single family home is now begins around $400k in a state where most wages and salaries are lower than many US states. Many make the sacrificeto live there due to the otherwise high quality of life. While not as expensive as say Denver, DC, Boston or San Francisco, it's a struggle for many to stay ahead, and heating and food costs are higher than in most places. I for one hope real estate costs come down, even though it my have to be the result of a recession and pain will be felt in other ways, but current house prices are no longer sustainable for so many people there.

[TC Chris]

When I am appointed dictator of the nation, I will ban short-term rentals. They are death for communities. I have stayed in them all over. Moab, Edinburgh, Rome, Vernazza, Bozeman. They are wonderful for travelers. They are awful for everybody else except the landlord.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

Very true, Burlington is actually working on banning or restricting them. We just stayed in one 3 weeks ago, a nice
house in TN where we went for a wedding, in Chicago, also for a wedding, also Moab 2 yrs ago w/ our daughter' & family, and they are nice for those who want privacy and space, but not for prospective buyers. The other thing that ought to be banned are these hedge funds/corporations buying up huge #s of housing and converting them to rentals, upping the rent greatly. They've bought up to 20% or more of the market in some places, many of them fixer-uppers, taking the most affordable properties for marginal buyers out of play.

One of the '50s gas stations that's for sale has all red horizontal stripes like the green ones in the Amoco above, does anyone know what brand that might have been? There's also the holes where letters of logos and slogans were mounted, but I'm unable to make out what they said. I'll try to get pics one nice Fall day when we go out for a leaf ride, a beautiful time of year here when all the maples are aflame with color.

[Motorola minion]

When I am appointed dictator of the nation, I will ban short-term rentals. They are death for communities. I have stayed in them all over. Moab, Edinburgh, Rome, Vernazza, Bozeman. They are wonderful for travelers. They are awful for everybody else except the landlord.

Chris Campbell

Being in less-rural "dutch country" where the annual visitors cause annual mayhem for us daily-grinders, I prefer to see tourist towns/areas remain as such, we knew that when we moved here. These places CAN exist without Ayre-B-B rentals spilling into otherwise quieter neighborhoods. Example: A log/stone/brick 200+ YO historic house on a busy corner could remain intact and saving a local identity (though noisy and rumbly for a full-time resident) rather than be altered for a laundromat or pizza shop, or worse, obliterated for another stupid chain that eats small town centers routinely

Many folks in rural areas do it to pay ever-increasing property taxes, they live on the premises and are very present as most are farmers and kind country folks. Those rural townships and boroughs use inspectors only when a building permit is pulled, most uses are out of sight unless trouble is caused. We did a BnB round robin tour of
8 working farms in Ireland, stayed a week on castle grounds laundry house far outside Peebleshire Scotland which beats downtowns and hotels any day! The various versions of breakfast alone are unforgettable. Driving on left in rental cars was fun too!

This is also a saving grace for rural PA's northern tier communities that love money being spent by the often noisy, sometimes pushy and rude (NY-NJ) renters. It gets them through the winter, allows them to continue farming and keeps the maple taps flowing for our neighbors. Point of fact: My in-laws cabin/camp is for family and their guests only. Few are allowed to even hunt it, mainly neighbors who have mutual trust established after 30 years

The suburban and small-town short term rentals are a burden for full-timers, most are an "investment" that is managed at a safe distance, so the owner never has to face the neighbor. It makes the news here when discoveries of Amish ownership (of troublesome rentals) is irresistible journalism.