History Images of vintage gas stations ~ pre 65

'Les Burrows 1936 Terraplane car' - photo by Sam Hood (1872-1953) State Library of New South Wales

 

Former Gilmore Oil, art-deco structure built 1935 reused as a Starbucks drive thru. Location is Highland at Willoughby, Los Angeles.

 

Hello,

Travelers depend on gas stations located in the various locations, everywhere. Coastal oceanfront gas stations were a common place as it served the folks going South along the So Cal coast line. There was no need to cross traffic to get to a gas stations. They were located to serve the locals and travelers to the cities along the coastline.

This intersection of PCH South and Forest Avenue is one of the most photographed corners in Laguna Beach history. From farther North, it is a downhill drive to the Broadway Street (from all points inland) intersection for the stoplight. But, now, the road curves and starts its uphill climb, past the Hotel Laguna. This curve, intersection and slow climb uphill is usually the cause of traffic slow downs that has been going on since Laguna Beach became a city.

(add in distractions like the Laguna Beach Greeter and that just makes traffic slower through this part of the Coast Highway.)

The odd structure is actually an upside down ice cream cone and apparently held the Jackson Ice Cream store on Main Beach. By the late 30s, it was moved away from the Main Beach location. The Richfield Gas Station remained until the mid 60s when all big buildings and gas stations on the ocean side of Coast Highway were removed. A nice boardwalk/ a park, playground and the famous lifeguard station was installed to give locals and tourists a view of the famous Laguna Beach.

Jnaki

It is a nice place to visit and living there is a wonder with the ocean, right at your front door, so to speak, every single day.

Main Beach intersection with the Hotel Laguna in the background...

All gas stations were gone and the only two were across the intersection. Newer versions are still located on the inland side of Coast Highway, today. The wide open ocean front view is a drawing point for all locals and the travelers on Coast Highway… No more buildings/gas stations on this portion of the ocean front white sand and blue water.

NOTE:

When the traffic gets crowded on the weekends during the year and all summer anytime, the locals know of ways to get around most jams. So be patient and not be in a hurry. The beachfront city is like no other and very enjoyable in its history and today’s upgrades. Summer Traffic on PCH through Laguna Beach is a definite NO!

Like a 1950’s diner experience on the highway? With an ocean view to boot? Just a few miles South from the photo above is the only Ruby’s Auto Diner anywhere. There is a rotating cadre of old 50s-60s cars parked out in front and the food? Good food, smiling waitresses and an ocean view with hot rods/cruisers sitting down below? There is old hot rod history in this location back in the 60s-70s. It was the location of Duke’s Family Hamburgers and it was the best deal in So Cal. Huge portions of great food for breakfast, lunch, or dinners... and... the cheeseburger was a true two hand holding portion. Yowza!

Every day/night, an old hot rod/sedan delivery/station wagon/truck could be seen in the parking lot. When your friends drove by and saw your old car, they knew you were having a nice breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is similar, today, as the whole Auto Diner is a neck turning, drive-by at all times…Check it out on your next visit. If you like staying in a very upscale resort, just walk across the street to one of the best places to visit or stay along this portion of the coast. The Montage…YRMV

 

If you feel it should be deleted go ahead and report it, Drake's Store has been on that corner since the early 20's, I just thought the early morning fog made a nice picture, wasn't thinking about the truck. HRP

 

Hello,

This is a good thread and with some care of copied photos, it should be a part of the display.
Just a little editing with any normal phone or computer program will make it HAMB traditional for cars and trucks.

Jnaki

I added some clarity to the photo and a small bit of contrast. YRMV

 

There is a thread for what you want.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ns-today-derelict-or-period-restored.1249165/

 

Union 76, - 1937

 

Thank you sir. HRP

 

What one looked like inside, in 1937

 

Hello,

Over the years since 1959, driving down this PCH version of roadway toward one of the best surf spots anywhere in the world, located in Camp Pendleton property were several gas stations. I mentioned the other one back in the middle of town, but still on PCH. It depended on whether we were hungry and needed to stop for a snack, since we had just driven 50 plus miles down the coast, in the middle of the night or very early in the morning.

If it was a stop for a snack, then the downtown deli-café window right on the highway curb was the rest stop. But also, we got gas at the adjoining parking lot. That full tank should last us down another 100 miles and back without having to use Pemex gas. Our experiences with various old gas stations supplying Pemex gas was the reason. In an extreme emergency, Pemex gas will usually get us back to the border.

Other times, Pemex gas was a lower quality and made our motors run funny. Sometimes to the point of stopping the motor on a drive. Not a good reliable gas to get us where we wanted to go for a week’s days/nights of camping and surfing.

So, we had to time it with snacks and/or get gas downtown or just a few mile south at the last gas station prior to the major freeway connection to San Diego or Baja Mexico. Why did we not get our last gas in San Diego? (Obviously that was an area bordering on the crossing into Mexico.) Well, superstition for our safe surf travels always had the same stops to get us where we wanted to go and come back safely.

Jnaki


Prior to becoming an empty shell of a historic old gas station, it was a cool auto repair place with lots of local customers and travelers on their way South through the city.

Prior to the pandemic lock down time period, we had taken a drive down the coast and were surprised at the old cars from this hot rod repair and service shop. The gas station lives! Or lived…

Note: A sad ending to the old gas station and its hot rod influenced repair/build shop. Due to the pandemic, the shut down had too great of an effect on most businesses and had to close. So, now, it sits with a for lease sign for the next version of the old historic gas station usage. At least it is a corner lot with tons of exposure and an ocean view to boot.


We used to get gas here, on our last stop, prior to heading to our destination that was farther South, at least another 100 miles in Baja Mexico. So, no Pemex for us…

 

Station & Store and a customer on a mission

 

I know this is five years later, but the thread is still active, so I thought this would be appropriate, being an update. This is my part of the world, and the Lawrencetown, N.S., service station still stands, no pumps, but it's still a garage:
View attachment 5860 214[/ATTACH]

 

Here's a really sad one in our city, the former CBC building:
It was originally built in Art Deco/Streamline as a car dealership/garage/other businesses, then became the CBC broadcast center, then the CBC Radio studios:

Unfortunately, the forces of greed got their hooks into it, demolished it, and replaced it with this eyesore:

Condos priced at $300,000-$1,000,000. Chicken coops for rich chickens.

 

Notice the pulley-operated signal arm on top of the "Painted Desert Park" sign? Not sure who it was designed to flag down, but I wonder if it was to signal the Pickwick driver that there was a fare or parcel waiting?

 

I didn't think they did atom bomb testing in Arizona.

Seriously though, even though I'm glued to this thread, sometimes it's heartbreaking when you see how some of these places end up. Just had to get that off my chest.

 

Here's a couple more from Nova Scotia.

Harbour Motors was a Ford dealer. The dealership moved outside town to glossy new premises, but the building remained as a Fina station in the downtown until replaced by an office tower in the 70's:


This corner station was across the street from the Halifax Commons. It's been replaced by an expensive apartment block, half of which has a beautiful view of the commons, priced accordingly:


Imperial Oil station in Halifax 1950:


This one is still going, now as a shiny new Petro-Canada station on a busy intersection, part of a thriving family business run by very successful operators. I preferred it in this form::

 

Lower Sackville is a suburb of Halifax, and this is the main thoroughfare, now a big intersection where two 4-lane roads meet. The Fina station is now a tire shop/used car lot:

Same station from the opposite angle. The house on the opposite corner still stands as it was, now a museum:

 

This next set were all in the town of Amherst, Nova Scotia, starting with a very old Irving Oil station; Irving is a local legend here in the Maritimes, old K.C. Irving starting out with a small heating oil business. This has expanded over the last 90+ years into a dynasty. The Irving Group is now a major player in petroleum, forestry, transportation, agriculture, and shipbuilding. Their businesses stretch across much of Canada.


The next is also an Irving in Amherst, date unknown:


The next is a Fina station, late 50's or early 60's. Fina stations here were distinctive with their rounded glass showrooms:


This last Amherst shot is not strictly a photo of a gas station, but I'm betting that the owners of this Texaco across the street from the 1964 factory blaze were wetting both their roof and their BVD's:

 

Update: I was just contacted by the daughter of the man who was the operator of the station I posted above from 1950. It was located on Quinpool Rd in Halifax, Griffin's Esso Service, and shown below is Mr. Griffin himself. He seems happy in his work!

 

^^^Same damn grin as the County Mounty that wrote me up a few years back for speeding. Definitely enjoying his work.

 

Lookey here! "Christine" must be checkin' out the gas station, where she'll later wipe out Trelony, Vandenberg, Buddy Repperton and his Camaro!

 

Saw these posted on a FB page today. The location is Racine Wisconsin, same building different time frame.

 

I was about to point and say"Look at that really old truck parked out front!" Then, I suddenly realized that my daily driver is considerably older today than that truck was in the picture.

Gulp.

 

Rose Stereograph Company; State Library of Victoria

 

Some more from Nova Scotia. These were all stations in the Annapolis Valley.

These two were a station built partly into a hillside in Aylesford, N.S. The first is definitely pre-war. Note the outdoor service rack (and back then, our winters were cold and involved significant snow!)


Same station, 1950. Still the glass pumps, but note the outdoor rack is replaced by a small building (possibly storage, looks too small for a service bay), and on the right, a set of washrooms have been added. Bet the staff appreciated those, if no one else!


The next two are Bridgetown, N.S. No idea when the actual pictures were taken (those who are more knowledgeable about gas pumps can probably date them), but the stations themselves are definitely pre-war. Both are now vacant lots.

 

More Annapolis Valley:

This was in Kentville, N.S. I wish I had a house as nice as this one!


This one was in Wolfville. N.S. White Rose was a brand name of Canadian Oil Companies Ltd, until sold to Shell in the early 60's. Lions Day car wash. If the yellow-and-purple caps weren't a tip-off, the foot-high letters in the window left no doubt.

 

The South Shore of Nova Scotia, Liverpool 1958 and 1996. Nice to see some continuity. Like all the above stations, this one is gone now too. It's currently a lawn in front of a supermarket complex.