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Three old Texaco stations + a little surprise


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While hunting for old ads in the 1961 Raton, NM high school yearbook, I came across this page:

ranm61-56.thumb.jpg.955c30dca6286bd5759f

A lot of difference for three stations in the same town.

Now for the fun part. Check out the ad signs in the last photo for the now-legendary and VERY expensive 1/25 scale Buddy L Texaco station for only $3.50 - and there's a built example of the kit visible in the window between the second and third pumps!

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Ah,...the neighborhood service station...such a great part of a simpler time. I remember when I was just a little kid, Dad would pull into the neighborhood service station, ( a Standard Oil, I believe ), and there was a guy everybody knew by his first name working there, who would greet you with a cheerfull "hello, fill 'her up?..". Back then, the attendants wore white uniforms and a cap, many times a bow tie, and they checked everything...battery, coolant level, oil, tire pressure, washed the windshield, offered to empty the ashtray for you, looked at the wiper blades, and did all of that in minutes. You could get free maps of the city or state in the lobby. Restrooms were maintained, should you require their useage.  When the car was done being re-fueled, as the attendant gave you your receipt or change, you usually got S&H green stamps, or blue chip stamps back, and, there was always some kind of promotion that, if you filled it up, you could get a free tumbler, steak knife, whatever, and you could collect an entire set after time. these stations generally were on all major corners, and many were open 24 hours. Air and water, at the pump island, was free. I even had a bicycle tire flat patched for free by the local gas station guy, and that was not uncommon. Weren't people wonderfull back then?

In High School, being that I was into cars, it should come as no surprise that my first job was in a gas station, a 76 Union..........loved that job too......

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As an aside, because I always find this stuff interesting, here's what those stations look like now.

 

421 South 2nd: still a gas station, but not quite as attractive.

gs-421.thumb.png.097c1255cc7a42932e3aa9a

 

400 South 2nd: not a gas station.

gs-400.thumb.jpg.01b92d2fd922575352f3d77

 

200 Canyon Drive: I guess it's technically still a Texaco station.

gs-200.thumb.jpg.2524a9ea51000cf79c08bb2

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 I bought gas for prices like those shown above. My senior year in high school I bought gas at the best price I ever paid: 19.9¢/gallon for regular. Gulf station in San Fernando. "Gas War" signs at the Gulf, the Union 76 across one way and at the Shell station the other way. Since I got my VW Bug filled up, I got a free glass. It finally broke in the dishwasher a couple of years ago.

Then a couple months later I worked in a Mobil Station in the San Fernando Valley while I was going to college. 24 hour station in Sherman Oaks on Sepulveda near Ventura Blvd. 35¢/gallon. Still full service in a neighborhood where many of the regular customers were celebrities. Robert Young, Merv Griffin, Dick Clark, Steve Allen and Jane Meadows,  Laker announcer Chick Hearn "gave" me his Porsche 911 once. He never liked it. Would have been happier in a Cadillac, but his daughter had talked him into it. So he pulled in one time and as I walked over, he got out and asked if I wanted the Porsche. I said "Yes!". He tossed me the keys and said "It's yours." and walked over to the phone booth. I filled it with premium gas, washed the windshield and back window, added a quart of oil. Then wrote the credit card bill. Handed it to Chick as he walked back. Then after he signed the receipt and handed it to me, I gave him the keys. Then watched him drive my Porsche away.

Then the "Gas Shortage" hit (according to the news people anyway). Price jumped to 64¢/gallon while our markup from wholesale remained the same. Then we had lines of customers up to the top of Sepulveda Pass. About 2.5 miles. I had been managing the 4pm to midnite shift when the gas delivery arrived about every 3rd to 4th night. So it was my duty to receive the delivery. Check the volume in the tanks before and after. Check the paperwork to be sure it agreed with how much gas was delivered, etc. The tanks would typically take about 2/3 to 3/4 of the truck full of gas. The with the "shortage", we changed from 24 hour operation to opening to sell gas at 8:00AM, pumping 'til the last drop dripped from the last nozzle about 10:00AM. The mechanic continued to work, and tires, wipers and batteries and such were sold the rest of the day, but I went off to college classes. Then in the late afternoon I returned. Cleaned up the lube bays and the pump islands. Serviced and cleaned the restrooms, counted the till,  inventoried tires, batteries, oil, maps, etc. And was there to receive the gas deliveries EVERY night! The tanks would always take every drop the  truck brought because we had pumped them dry. So we not only did NOT have any shortage, instead of selling about 6,000 gallons in 3 days at 24 hours, we sold 9,000 gallons of gas in 2 hours a day. No shortage in my view. People got in fist fights in the lines, at least 3 times guns were drawn in the driveways to settle arguments. One night while I was cleaning up, a Chevy with cardboard taped over the license plates pulled in and 2 guys with masks on their faces and guns drawn got out. They demanded that I fill up their gas tank. I told them we had NO gas at all. After repeatedly telling them that, I finally offered to turn on the pumps and let them try to pump gas. So one guy went into the back room with me and watched me flip the switches for the pumps. They were clearly marked. His buddy tried to pump at each and every pump. Didn't get a drip. So they jumped in their car and took off while I called the cops. The gas tank truck arrived about an hour later. I usually filled my own tank in the dark with the station lights turned off, right after the truck left. Then turned off the pumps and locked up for the night.

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On 11/18/2017 at 3:33 AM, ChrisBcritter said:

Good ones, Ellen - do you know where they were located?

Yes, I do Chris ! The Calpet station was 9th & Olive - Seattle Washington 

Gilmore Rimsdale & Avondale Los Angles 

Richfield - NAPA Valley California 

Shell- Alabama 

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Texaco - Kenosha Wisconsin :

Texaco Prefab metal building , Canoga park California :

Texaco - prefabricated Sheet metal porcelainized  building from late 1950's Southern California :

Esso- St Albans West Virginia

Gulf Wyanote Michigan ; This one was probably another brand when built ....

Texaco- 60th Street at Sheridan Road, Kenosha, Wisconsin, 1940..jpg

Texaco at 21313 Sherman Way in Canoga Park. Cal..jpg

Texaco- pre fab metal station in S Cal..jpg

Esso- St Albans W Virginia.jpg

Gulf - Antoine and Biddle Wyanote Mi..jpg

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I was an attendant many years ago. Theres no style to any of the stores today, I am in my mid 30's, I was born in the wrong time. I remember checkin the tires and filling up the hearses from the local funeral home they had an account with us. Sadly they closed that gas station it was the last full service on my side the river in southern Louisiana, now its a Keys Fuel Mart and not owned by anybody born in that town, for lack of a better expression.

I wish I had been born in the late 30's then I could have lived in the time of cheap gas and real metal cars and trucks, where I wouldnt feel like Im being controlled every turn I make, especially with all this self driving, lazy car BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH. Theres no private property anymore and nobody really owns anything, and lets not talk about moral bankruptcy.

I just want simple times.

Edited by EightyHotRod
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On 1/19/2018 at 9:49 AM, Eshaver said:

Texaco - Kenosha Wisconsin :

Texaco Prefab metal building , Canoga park California :

Texaco - prefabricated Sheet metal porcelainized  building from late 1950's Southern California :

Esso- St Albans West Virginia

Gulf Wyanote Michigan ; This one was probably another brand when built ....

Texaco- pre fab metal station in S Cal..jpg

 

 

This one was in Miami, next to the Tropicaire Drive-In.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/16525/photos

large.jpg?1440865809

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