Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana FATW -- Found Along The Way -- September 2009

Hey Guys & Gals,

It's time to share the petro relics that we've stumbled across in our recent travels, and check out what other people have found as well.

If you would like to contribute to this feature, simply post the pictures here or email them directly to me and I will post them for you. Be sure to include a story or description with your submissions.

If it's too close to the next installment, please note that I may hold your contribution for posting when the new FATW comes up.
Send 'em in!!

Happy Trails!

Wes

One point of interest -- every single picture I'm posting this month was taken with a cell phone camera! What a great thing to have in your pocket. If you've got one, don't forget about it next time you're out driving and see something cool! The quality of these cameras has improved drastically over the last year or two.


So, let's get to it...


While out and about for a weekend drive, Tara and I ran across quite a neat little place in small-town Illinois. Cafe Mobilgas. Has anyone ever heard of it?


The property consists of an old cafe (which is now an antique/junk store), the awesome sign above, and a large old Mobil station that has now been sided over with new metal siding (now a tire shop).


The pump island is still there, and you can tell the building is old by its neat little curved curbs between each bay.


Out front is the pole from a late 50s porcelain Mobil sign. If you look closely, you can see where the v-notch at the top was welded in, and the light-up 1960s sign frame was added.


Oh - hardly worth mentioning, but there's a horse on a stick out front too...


It's a very neat place, and would have been quite a welcome sight to travellers in the pre-interstate days along the National Road from Indianapolis to St. Louis.

So, let's take a look at some more Illinois stations:

Here's a great Phillips cottage that Norm (cmeon66) showed me while we were driving around one day:


And, here, a nice old porcelain Shell slowly falls apart in a dying town:


This "Sputnik" (satellite ball) sits atop a pole in front of an old gas station. This type of sign is another one of my interests, but this is the first opportunity I've had to post one because it's the only one I've ever found at a gas station:

We took a drive on a road I'd never been on before, and happened across this very nice old station. What a gem!


Here's a neglected D-X station. Too bad the roof in front of the office has collapsed. I guess nobody cares about this old girl. Down the street, someone has restored an old station -- I'll post pictures of it in next month's feature.


That's all I've got.
Let's see what you've Found Along The Way!

Wes

You need to enlarge the Pegusus and frame that one . It actually would make for a nice shot in someones work area or office . Ed Shaver

Blackwell Oklahoma stations.........last picture OKC.

Wes is that Pegusus the one in Casey?

Ed - will do!

Those are great Diamond and Phillips stations, Scott! They both look very original and unmodified. Too bad that 15" lens is broken! The giant pipe wrench is one for Debra Jane's site. Is it on there yet?

George, yep, it's the one you're thinking of.

Wes

LOVE the horsey on a stick, Wes!! Thanks for "mentioning".

Some great old building designs caught on "film" so far this month. The cottages' and and tall roof stations have to be among my favorites.

Old Texaco station, was used as a repair shop but is empty again, I think it is up for demolition, to bad lot of porcelain panels headed for the dump

THAT'S A CRYIN' SHAME!

here you go...

Hi-Speed station in Flat Rock, MI

Fleet Wing in Mt Victory, Ohio

Randy

Heres a pump that I found this spring while doing some work for the owner! I didn't have a chance to photograph it at the time but I got his permission to come back and capture it on film today! Its still in service and not for sale at this time but I got him to promise to contact me when it does come up for sale! I also checked with him to see if there were any strange old brass nozzles that were once attached to it but if there was, its long gone! DARN!! You just never know whats around the next corner!!--KEVIN

LOVE THE SQUARE 850!AND STILL IN USE!WOW!THANKS FOR THE POST.HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT LABOR DAY WEEKEND.MARK

Here is a cottage in Clinton Indiana not a real good shot. Wes that horse has been there as long as I have been going down there. There is a nice cottage and some good signs downtown.

George,

How interesting that that cottage is in Clinton, Indiana. The Phillips cottage I posted this month is in Clinton, Illinois!

I missed the cottage in Casey. I'll have to make sure to see it next time. I did see a re-purposed Standard sign and a late 50s Gulf porcelain sign.

Thanks,
Wes

Wes I knew the cottage you posted was in Clinton I have seen it many times. Next time you are in Casey go down town on rt 49 and you will see another nice cottage. Turn right off 49 on what I call main st and there is a super nice Gulf sign on the side of a building and some nice old stations. Never seem to have a camera with me when I an down there.

George

That is an early model 'rectangle' 850... Not square!

Base, skins, and mid section are rectangular. Being an early pump I guarantee its chain drive... or was.

And I bet the skins are 48 inches tall. ? Repops are 46.

Larry

Here are a few in GA, Went to take a picture of the one station and the red roof had been added since last week, it did have a tile roof.

ST. ROD,PARDON ME ON THE SQUARE POST.DIDN'T HAVE A 100% VIEW OR A TAPE MEASURE!IT WAS JUST AN OBSERVATION FROM THE PICTURES!MARK

Shot with KODAK Z712 IS ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA at 2009-09-08

Lake Odessa, MI, I have to believe that the steel framed sign has been there almost as long as the station even though it is now a sign business.

Old Mercantile/Post Office/Gas Station in southern North Dakota. Still has the old G and B visible sitting out back waiting for someone to pull up and get a gallon or two!!

i saw this coca cola murale fighting for more sunlight. it was in downtown old new castle, de between 2 row buildings. maybe someone will figure out that the murale looks better than the cheap stucco and expose its glory to the world

OK SO TECHNICALY NOT FOUND ALONG THE WAY BUT THESE BUILDINGS STILL EXIST IN MY HOMETOWN. I CURRENTLY OWN THE BUICK DEALERSHIP BUILDING. IT IS A PICTURE @ 1955. THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP IS A BUILDING JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM MINE. WOULDNT U LIKE TO HAVE THAT CHEVY SIGN. THE SIGNS POLE IS STILL THERE. IF U LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE STREET NIGHT SCENE U CAN SEE THE CHEVY SIGN AS WELL AS A TEXACO, CITIES SERVICE AND ANOTHER STATION ON THREE CORNERS OF ONE BLOCK. HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE PICS AS MUCH AS I DO.

MIKE

Mike, Thanks for posting the neat photos, I enjoyed them. Jack

YOUR WELCOME. I WILL POST A COUPLE OF HOW THEY LOOK TODAY SOON.

M

That Chevrolet neon is sweet!!!!!!!!!

figure i need to get these in before the end of the month.these are from kentucky on the way back from mamoth cave..just a few hundred feet away from the 1st one.when i turned around to take this pic,a fella who didnt look to friendly came walking out of the house across the street.didnt wait around to see what he had to say

nice porcilan still being used
it was sunday and there were some people in this old chevron,so i stopped in to see if there was anything for sale. lady tod me that "some other fella from northways already stopped in and bought everything,including the old clock that was in the back"

posted this one a while back.still there and not going anywhere in the near future.its up by the cabin
here is the station it sits by.

and here are a few old neons in adams-friendship,just south of our cabin



hey if you ran out of gas,you had to stay at a hotel,right? got a few more from the way down to kentucky,but gotta download em to my puter.enjoy!!

Nice pics, Mick! I wonder who got the clock?

Wes

can anyone tell me what year and make the car on the left by the door is in the black and white pic of the buick dealership i posted earlier?

thanks,

mike

1949 or 1950 Mercury Hard to tell which. Mitch

yep late 49 or 50 Mercury. Early 49's have a 3 piece back window. John

Another way you can determine a 50 Model Mercury is very simple . look at the door handles . If they are of the push button variety , it's a 1950 model . See not all 1950 Mercurys had a one piece glass . Ford used up it's existing glass and then changed over as they did with everything else they built during that time . Hope this helps . Ed Shaver

Two Paragon Oil Refining Stations...

Randy

Toledo,Ohio



Haskins,Ohio

As seen in a farmers old grain bin.