Old gas stations

[Frunobulax]

⇧ great pics.

So, are the girls out front of Magnus Root Beer "greeters" or something?

At the top of very hour, they march around the entrance and bonk each other on the head to signify the time.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Various.

Rob

 

[BobHufford]

This was south of me in Brixey, Missouri.

 

[Zombie_61]

^ Seems to have been an early version of the modern mini-mart--get gas, pick up the mail, grab some tobacco, baking powder for the li'l missus...

 

[tonyb]

..,

Rob

The photo with the ’59 Caddy and the Richfield station — is that Shasta in the background?

 

[David Conwill]

^ Seems to have been an early version of the modern mini-mart--get gas, pick up the mail, grab some tobacco, baking powder for the li'l missus...

A lot of country/general stores started selling gasoline in the 1910s or '20s, so in a way, the modern mini-mart concept is just things coming a full circle. It's the refuel/automotive-service operation that was the fad, as it turns out.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yep. Every Sam Drucker-type store right up to the 1970s had at least one gas pump, and the oil companies considered these outlets important accounts. What greatly reduced that particular line of business was leakage from underground tanks finding its way into groundwater -- in communities where wells supplied the drinking water, this could be disastrous, and became a major problem for the newly-established EPA from the seventies forward.

We still have many of these types of stores in operation the further you get from Route 1, but most of them got rid of their gas pumps in the '80s and '90s for fear of such problems.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Hane Bros. noir.

Rob

 

[3fingers]

It's the refuel/automotive-service operation that was the fad, as it turns out.

And that sucks as bad as anything I can think of.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

"Hot dang...the station is on fire!"

Little Billy in the foreground looks a bit guilty...

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

"You handle your hose pretty well, buster."

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Satisfied customers.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

I've always been fond of this Sunoco station design.

Rob

 

[BobHufford]

Route 66, Spencer, Missouri.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

More hose hi-jinks.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Clowns.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Check out the tile work and that fireman's helmet over the front.

Rob