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Old gas stations

2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
Vintage postcard of Devils Elbow Cafe on Route 66 in Devils Elbow, Missouri.
Devils-Elbow.jpg




2b2fb68a332a644860984885de6a06aa.jpg
 

Benzadmiral

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,815
Location
The Swamp
This would be the fall of 1956 at the earliest, as that '57 Chevy sedan would have been available in dealerships that autumn. This pic is possibly deep into fall: note the coat on the shopping lady to the right -- but there are no Christmas decorations up, so probably not December yet. Or perhaps this is late winter/early spring of '57 at the earliest. The Studebaker Lark (?) just to the left of the Chevy might date the pic more closely (I'm not too familiar with that marque).
 
Last edited:

BlueTrain

Call Me a Cab
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2,073
I'll bet people complained about how awful the traffic was, too. Notice the "One-hour Martinizing" sign on the right beyond the vertical "value" sign.
 

2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
SE Tacoma & 13th.
a2005-001-642-se-tacoma-and-13th-west-1960.jpg

I found this image posted on another site. The description
on the green label reads:

Screen Shot 2017-08-14 at 9.23.01 AM.png


I’m not familiar with Portland weather in May. My guess is that the date was when the photo was entered into
the Portland Archives and not the time period shown on the photo.
 

Benzadmiral

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,815
Location
The Swamp
SE Tacoma & 13th.
View attachment 82169
I found this image posted on another site. The description
on the green label reads:

View attachment 82170

I’m not familiar with Portland weather in May. My guess is that the date was when the photo was entered into
the Portland Archives and not the time period shown on the photo.
The Studebaker Lark it was, and that car first appeared for sale in late 1958. So that dates this to anywhere from fall 1958 to early 1960, the May 3 date being the latest point.
 

BlueTrain

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,073
I did not know that Quonset was a brand name. I learn something most everyday.

I do know, however, that people in my hometown of around 7500 people depending on the year complained about the traffic and the lack of parking in the downtown business district, if you can call it that (about four blocks long, maybe more). U.S. 460, a major east-west highway (at least until it got to my hometown), went right through the middle of town, as did most highways. That was before bypasses and interstates. There's plenty of parking downtown now, if anyone's interested. The businesses are all gone but the parking problem has been solved.
 

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