Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion How did we all get started

This may have been done before but I am adding pictures. My Dad owned Texaco, Signal, and Richfield later Arco stations in Nor Cal fro 1938-1971. I got interested in pumps and found this little fat guy Dwaine and bought my first one 8 years ago and now it has turned into one giant memorial to DAD.Here is his station in Alturas CA. 1948. He is on the right.

Here is a shot in downtown Lodi 1952. In uniform 7 days a week. Wish I had those pumps.

Have fun Ted

[This message has been edited by 41150 (edited 09-26-2003).]

Great Pics and History Ted - Thanks for sharing...Thats totally COOL KEWL COOL.
---------------------------------------
Hubba

GREAT pictures, those are so cool. There was a post a while back, about what is wrong with this country, why some of us young guys like the old stuff, etc. Those pictures and your comment about your dad are exactly why. Looks (and sounds) like your dad worked hard, you just don't find men like that anymore. I'll bet your dad never wanted to lease a BMW huh? That is the problem here in So Cal, the "real men" lease cars they can't afford to buy and everyone thinks that is just fine. A whole new American, void of ethics, integrity and hard work.
Cheers to all the people who really built this county. Donald Trump is a boner... guys like your dad are the real heros of this county.
On a side note, I got into this because of the history of these great instruments. These gas spewers allowed people to travel, see the country and allowed dads to work 12 hour days, 350 days a year so they could load up screaming kids and drive for hours just to show them huge trees or big holes in the ground, or maybe teach their son to catch his first fish. Yep, the gas spewers were key to all of it.
I bought a pump that I didn't really like, then met a little fat guy too He told me about a bunch of pumps for sale... now I am hooked and the rest is history.

Well said Jeff.
--------------------
Hubba, saying Cheers

my gawd, this is gonna be an exciting trip with the Elvis man. he has an opinion about everything. And, apparently not afraid to share it.

------------------
Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
Vintage Gas

He's your baby, ha ha ha , we'll com him down, chill Elvis, ha ha ha , just gotta love them. a good jar-head drill instrutor, conservitive republican , be crying like a big baby. ma ma . if I pee the bed can I go home,??? ha ha ha ha .

[This message has been edited by Dwaine Buck (edited 09-26-2003).]

as long as he ain't takin' them snakes....

Been in the oil business all my life,all phases of it.Left for a short time found out I missed the smell. I love it.Started pumpin ETHYL at 14 in a KYSO station.Went to school,ran a station at nite GULF.Graduated worked for ATLANTIC Refineing,then PURE-UNION 76.
Bough a small oil company sold KYSO,MOBIL,ASHLAND,MARATHON,UNION 76 & CHEVRON.Got health problems & sold out and started collecting the stuff I love.The smell is back.
My Mom & Dad are my heros they worked their butts off I learned by example.
AMERICA home of the working man!!
Rex
These are my heroes. My mom worked in a factory in Connecticut, 1945. She was so pretty that they made a safety poster with here getting her braids caught in the machine. After we moved to Florida, she worked for years at Howard Johnson’s and was awarded waitress of the year.

My dad worked in the factories in Connecticut. After we moved to Florida, the only job he could get was driving for Coca Cola. Later he drove a beer truck before he became a supervisor.
These heroes didn’t have any sick days. Thanks for looking. Rex


------------------


[This message has been edited by rext@worldnet.att.net (edited 09-26-2003).]

That is what I am talking about, THOSE are the people kids need to learn from. Cool pictures, you mom was pretty... great picture of her! Made me laugh, here she is with her hair "caught" in a machine... with a big smaile on her face! ha ha ha, very cool. Now a days it would be some stick figure, if they use a woman from the office for the poster they would be sued by someone who worked there
You guys didn't know I have an opinion about EVERYTHING? Where have you been?
Dwainey, if I am lucky enought to get into the police academy in WA, I am sure there will be a 25 year old boner yelling at me, that should make you happy. I'll wait and deal with it, keep smiling... gotta have a paycheck you know?
Just talked to a buddy who wants to buy my house here, cool. No commission to a realtor. (scum!) Sorry local Frank, here realtors are only out-scummed by lawyers. I am sure that is not the case in WA
Now I have to sell the store... anyone want a pool store in So Cal? It is sunny! Dwaine? We could drop the front counter down a few inches

This is very Cool!!! You guys are very lucky to have such great pictures and memories of your past.. My Dad was in the automotive repair business while I was growing up. He worked as a Master Mechanic at Dealerships in Seattle in the 50's (any of you "Seattle Old Timers" remember SL Savidge??? Dodge Dealership??)He opened his own shop with a buddy in the late 50's early 60's in Ballard and after a few years opened a Repair Shop in Edmonds.. where I grew up. I have fond memories of the grease,oil and smells. Wish I had some pics to remember all those days. I have been a desk jockey my whole career... but really enjoy getting my hands dirty in the grease pit and love every minute of my time doing restorations etc. in my garage. It is my relaxation and pleasure.. Times then were much more relaxed and unhurried...
I long for the those days, but know that they are gone and that we must work to make our own "days gone by" in our spare time.. whenever that may be.. but the moments we have are well worth it. I love this site.

------------------
Frank

Great pics Rex. Sounds like Dads and Moms were all there. My dad may have worked 7 days a week but every year in the summer his partner and him would hire extra high school kids that wanted to work and they would each take a month off. Like aquaelvis said we went and saw the USA in our Dodge and 16 foot travel trailer. Still have pictures from that and great memeroies. Good families. Thats whats missing in our society for many. My 2 cents. Ted

Since you started this Dad, I'll tell my story. You have already told most of the reason why we are in to gas pumps, etc. with stories of grandpa. That passion has been passed down to you and now me. My dad has been a hard working teacher and mechanic with own business since I was a lilltle kid. He taught students as his primary job, and after that job he would work on cars until 6:00 eevry night. He worked his butt off 5 days a week so he could spend weekends camping and having fun on the weekends with us 3 kids. All that hard work paid off because every summer we would go on vacations in the trailer for 4-6 weeks and travel across the USA. We saw 47 states in all those years of summer vacations. I learned more from those vacations than I ever learned in school (and I've been in school a long time). My dad taught me if you work hard it will eventually pay off. When he statrted getting into antiques and gas pump stuff 8 years ago I saw a fire in his eye. I share that same passion. I don't know what it is , but we all have it here. Keep the hobby alive. I fully intend to get my kids excited about this stuff. My 3 1/2 year old girl, Rachael, has been very interested in what I have been doing out in the garage with that gas pump. She thinks its beautiful and wants a red one. Looks like I will have to do a Texaco after I finish the Polly. Take Care

------------------
~Jason

TED,THANKS FOR THE TOPIC BROUGHT BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES,YOUR DAD WOULD BE PROUD.GREAT PICS.REX

------------------

Great thread for sure....This is the America I remember! I hope there is enough sense left
not to let it be only our past.....