The station was probably in California..they sold Union (Oil Co) Cleaning Solvent and Economy Gasoline (made by the same company that made Polly Gas)
Burns City,In. 1940 or 41. The Govt. was buying land for the Crane Naval Ammunition Area. Ultimately bought 60,000 acres.
I like the "visible" gas pumps with the crown globes. Just the globes are worth $$$ if they're in good condition. Nice scene. The guy at the pumps is standing tall and proud. They're taking good care of faithful customers too - not just gas but coal and coke for those who haven't given up their Stanley Steamers yet.
The local tire shop here sells Kelly Springfield still. I think they are now part of Goodyear. I had them on my old car that my son drove in college.
All the cars I had before going into the army and then in '72 moving to Milwaukee were riding on C0-0P tires. The Kelly Tires were sold at the Mobil and Independent gas stations. All out of business 25 years ago. Now I ride on Chinese tires.
How about Truckstops? The ones I best remember from the mid 70's ar [*][*]Pilot Flying J [*]Love's Travel Stop [*]Sapp Bros in Sidney, Nebraska [*]Iowa 80 in Walcott, IA [*]Little America in Little America, Wyoming [*]TA (Truckstop of America) [*]Circle K It's very sad as few now have sit-down "Driver Section" restaurants it's mostly just "fast food".
'Truck Stops' I have stopped at many in Wisconsin and surrounding states back when I rode motorcycles. Those were great. But as you say now it's only bad fast food and obnoxious peoples. Thank the lord I don't ride motorcycles anymore. Now it's just stick the card in the machine, fill the tank and scramm!
I meant to post this in the Random Photo thread, but messed up. I'll just leave it here. Found along the roadside in Tryon, NC (just south of the Saluda Grade), 08/14/2019. From a postcard, the Valley Courts Motel in better times:
That's a great video! Five gallons for a $1.75? I filled up today at $1.69 a liter. Incidentally, it was at an unusual sight up here - A Mobil station!
Holy smokes-we're almost $5 a gallon here in Washington-that's about $90 bucks in my truck if it's close to empty!!
Wow, the cars and trucks in that video alone are priceless!! Take note, all you modelers of this era!
I had a bargain there, since it's closer to the Ontario border. In my home town it's more like $1.85...And some say it's not done going up (despite the fact that actual oil prices haven't gone that far up) It's a good thing my car averages about 20 km/liter (or 5 liters/100 km) on the highway. My former '69 Newport's weekly gasoline bill would be in heart attack territory at these prices.
I remember the Union 76 truck stops (Truck/Auto stops) that seemed to be across the country - even in areas that Union 76 had no regular gas stations. Many of them started as Pure Oil Truck Stops in the Midwest and South - Union bought Pure Oil around 1965 and rebranded the Pure stations to 76 around 1970.
That's interesting. When I was young, I recall a Pure station in the midwestern town I grew up in. It somehow morphed into a Union76 station around the time you describe. Somewhere in my junk is a Union76 antenna ball. These were good for visibility in northern IL when the snow drifts got high.
