Ghostly Gas Stations

[TG57Roadmaster]

Dang! What am I doing wrong with working the "File Manager?"

TG

[Guest leadfoot]

Take a Cruise Down Memory Lane on Chesapeake Region's website and look at more than 60 old gas stations - click: http://local.aaca.org/chesapeake/OldGasStations.htm

Enjoy!

[JFranklin]

does anybody have any more of these?

[r0ckstarr]

I found this one in Gay Hill, Tx earlier this year.

[CarlLaFong]

I found this one in Gay Hill, Tx earlier this year.

Is that anywhere near Brokeback Mountain?

[r0ckstarr]

Planning a trip?

[R W Burgess]

Some Stations from Windjamer91:

[R W Burgess]

More.....

[JFranklin]

Here is a ghost I just saw for sale on Ebay, search for polly gas if you want it!

[TG57Roadmaster]

Very cool, but I wonder if it will make it's reserve...what a lawn ornament!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Other-Mak...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://photos.aaca.org/data/500/57_Texaco_1.jpg Larger, click once after opening.

This 3-bay Texaco sold by city our on ebay in 2006 only brought $3,500 and change, but needed

a total restoration. Built in 1957, the man who bought it plans to resurrect it

in Auburn, IN, as a petro-themed burger joint.

http://photos.aaca.org/data/500/57_on_US_3211.jpg

BTW, this is the image that started this thread about 3 years ago. The changeover

to a new format in early 2007 dropped alot of the images. It'll be fun to

catch up on what we've all seen on the road in the ensuing years.

Thanks JF, for revivng it,

TG

[Guest whotmewory]

Here's a link to a gteat little 1930s Shell station still standing in Southeast Winston Salem, NC on Spaugh Road (I think, may be wrong on that). Great refurb story behind this one.

Unfortunately, the Hat and Boots gas station on Old 99 in South Seattle where I used to live was slated for demolishon earlier this decade. Better half seems to think someone saved it and moved it...anyone have news on that?

Cheers!

Chris in NC NASCAR country

[R W Burgess]

Where's the beef? I mean, the "link"?

Wayne

[Guest Bob Call]

Located in downtown Tulsa and now the Blue Dome Diner, this 1920's art deco station was originally a Pure Oil Company station thus the blue roof as Pure's logo was blue on white. The website with this picture incorrectly identifies it a Gulf station. It became a Gulf station in 1965 when Pure was merged into Union Oil Company of California. Union had no marketing outlets in Oklahoma so the stations were sold to Gulf.

http://www.losttulsa.com/uploaded_images/bluedom2.jpg

http://www.michael.leland.name/tulsa/mid-continent.html

At one time Tulsa had dozens of Art Deco buildings downtown but the urban renewal craze of the 1960's and 1970's destroyed a large number of them.

[R W Burgess]

That's really a nice looking building, Bob. Amazing that they couldn't incorporate these as fronts to larger buildings.

BTW, the daughter goes to school in Oklahoma City.

The frown? The wife told me yesterday, we "will" go to her graduation this spring.

Needless to say, I'm hoping for a broken leg or a hospital visit that week.

Wayne

[Guest Bob Call]

Wayne

I lived in OKC for 10 years in the 70's and 80's and still have lots of friends there. Do go next spring and stay for a few days. Visit the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Nuseum, the 45th Infantry Division Museum, visit the downtown Bricktown area and the Myriad Botanical Gardens. About 25 miles northeast of OKC on historic route 66 (now Oklahoma State Highway 66) visit the famous round barn in Arcadia, OK. http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicv/vfiles246.jpg

Have dinner at Applewoods. Great apple fritters while you wait for your entre and super apple dumpling for dessert.

By the way, OKC is the real Windy City not Chi town

[Centurion]

There's a retiring Catholic priest, Father Hank, in rural Eastern Oregon (LaGrande) who is now engaged in the restoration of a 1950's era Texaco service station. The station is built in the same style as the one pictured below (and borrowed from earlier in this topic).

The old underground fuel storage tanks are currently being dug up and replaced, and the Father will re-open next year as a 1959-vintage Texaco station. Oregon is one of the states that still requires an attendant to pump fuel, and the Father intends that this will be a full-service station, with the attendants working in 1959 vintage Texaco station uniforms. Among the services provided will be spiritual counseling for any needy travelers!

I've been told that Texaco (or its corporate successor) has been highly supportive of the effort, donating items and funds to make the Father's dream a reality.

This will be a must-stop for me in July, 2009, as we return from the '59 Buick's Golden Anniversary in Colorado Springs. I'll be traveling in a flock of 8-to-10 '59 Delta Wing Buicks.

[R W Burgess]

Thanks Bob. I'll keep that in mind.

Take care,

Wayne

[Guest Leonard Shepherd]

I find some old gas station in my travels.

[LINC400]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave@Moon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've passed by this station in Bedford PA a few times, again not for about 10-15 years. Does anyone know if it's still around?

Bedford, PA Gulf station </div></div>

That is the most awesome gas station I have seen. Of course it doesn't hurt that I love art deco. I hope it still exsists.

[Guest Leonard Shepherd]

Here are two gas stations that the buildings still survive.

[Durant Mike]

great photos of these gas stations, especially the then and now photo's. Keep them coming great to look at.

[Guest HeyPop]

Thought I'd share this picture with all since it has been replaced with a Turkey Hill market that was built to resemble an old service station. Just not the same as the old Lincoln Highway Garage (York, Pa.). Owned and operated for the last 20+ years by Lynn Haines. For those familiar with the shoehouse visable along the stretch of Rt. 30 bypass around the Hellam exit, this was his grandson. Lynn's Grandad was big in the shoe business back in the late 1800's to 1900's. The shoehouse was built to give a unique experience to newly-weds. It's a tourist attraction as well as an ice cream stop in the summer and warmer months. In back of the window under the longest visable set of striped awnings was Lynn's Rickenbacker. I'm not sure anymore but think it was a 1926 vintage...correct me if you're more familiar. Before he pumped his final gallon of fuel, washed his last windshield and checked a customers oil (YES..he still did this until the last day!) I had stopped to get some pictures of the Rickenbacker and the inside of the garage and just talk at bit. I had gone to school with Lynn for about 4 of my last years of high school.

[Jim Bollman]

Here are a few ghosts from PA in the 1947-48 time frame. I don't know if any have survived or not.

This first one is on East Landcaster St in Ardmore, PA

Another angle of the same station.

Next a Mobile Station in Bristol, PA it is at the fork where Pond branches off.

A small station in Paoli, PA on Circle Ave

Here is Billy the Speedometer Man's shop in Phily on Broad St.

A very very small station in Pittsburgh on Montegomery

A Cities Service on Murray Ave in Pittsburgh

This Sunsco is on West Lincoln in Shamokin, PA

And finally this Ashland station on Hay St in Wilkinsburg, PA

[Shop Rat]

As a retired phone company employee I loved seeing the photo with the Bell System car in it.

[TG57Roadmaster]

"Do it once, do it right," correct Susan?

http://photos.aaca.org/data/500/Gibson_Bros_Gas_Station_BWAdj.jpg

Click once after opening to enlarge.

That was the mantra when I was a contractor for Southern Bell & NYNEX back in the '80's.

Gibson Bros. Good Gulf was my Grampa's station in East Texas, near Bon Wier close to the Sabine River in Louisiana; Grampa Thomas Gibson (1887-1953) is the one in the middle in coveralls, coat and hat. Family lore has it that Bonnie & Clyde <span style="font-style: italic">almost</span> robbed them once.

It's great to see all these old B&W gas station ghost appear again; thanks to all for keeping it going!

TG

[Shop Rat]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TG57Roadmaster</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"Do it once, do it right," correct Susan?

That was the mantra when I was a contractor for Southern Bell & NYNEX back in the '80's. TG </div></div>

Yes TG that sure rings a "Bell".

In the 90's it became "Zero Defects".

I have a 2009 Telcom Pioneer calendar that has several photos with old Bell System cars and trucks. I will see if I can scan them and post them. They give the calendars away for free so there shouldn't be an issue with posting them here.

[R Walling]

In one of the photos featured "Billy the Speedometer Man".

I wonder how much dealer work he did?

I remember when I was selling cars a many years back, one of my wholesalers services was to make sure that the speedometers were in an "acceptable range"

[Jim Bollman]

The photos I posted are from a pile of photos I have slowly been selling on eBay over the last 3 years. They were apparently from a Bell photo real estate book. They were all real photos bound in a book. It apparently covered the whole state of PA and from license plates I figured 1947-48. They were already cut a part when I bought them 30+ years ago. Was one of those deals I couldn't decide which ones I wanted and made the guy an offer for the whole pile. Wasn't till I took early retirement and started cleaning out some of accumulation and decided that I really didn't need them all.

[TG57Roadmaster]

Jim,

Please tell us how we can find your fantastic images on the 'bay. In the meantime,

here are a couple of Pure Oil survivors in Georgia; one in Atlanta, the other in Hartwell.

http://photos.aaca.org/data/500/Atlanta_Pure_Oil_Main_n_MercerX.jpg

In Atlanta north of Hartsfield Int'l Airport on U.S. 29, aka Main Street & Mercer Avenue.

http://photos.aaca.org/data/500/Hartwell_PureX.jpg

This station is purportedly going to be made into a visitor's center for Hartwell, GA.

Meanwhile, a huge CVS coupled with other retailers is going up right behind it;

heck, it may already be gone...

Happy hunting,

TG