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#466849 Mon Sep 30 2013 12:23 PM
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s932 Offline OP
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I thought we would do Gilmore oil this month. I no nothing about this company so I found some info right here on this site from 2004 when oltoydoc was the host of COTM so I will be using that hope no one minds.


The Gilmore Oil Co. Story:

Here we go:
Gilmore was more than an oil company! In Los Angeles, Gilmore was a way of life. You will hear references to Dairy farms, Lion Cubs, Race cars, Farmers Markets, Hollywood stars, Airplane sponsorship, Baseball teams, and even the Indy 500.


THE DAIRY FARM:

Arthur Fremont Gilmore had no plans for a world-renowned institution when he moved to Los Angeles from Illinois in 1870. Rather, he was seeking a new home for his family on the promising West Coast.

With a partner, A.F. Gilmore purchased two ranches in the Los Angeles vicinity. The purchase inaugurated a string of serendipitous events which not even the far- sighted Gilmore could predict. When Gilmore and his partner elected to dissolve their arrangement, they drew straws - Gilmore's straw secured 256 acres on which he created a highly successful dairy farm.

At the turn of the century, while drilling for water for his herd of dairy cows, A.F. Gilmore hit oil.

LETS SELL GAS:
By 1905, the dairy was gone and the Gilmore Oil Company was well on its way to providing the fuel to power the coming automobile age.

In 1921, Earl Bell Gilmore, Arthur's son, went on to create a vast oil and gas distribution network. The auto industry was producing more than four million cars each year, and with a healthy portion of those headed for California and Los Angeles, Gilmore's independent oil company became the largest in the west.

Gilmore's flair for promotion made his gas stations a popular part of the Western landscape. "Blu-Green" gas, the famous "Red Lion," "Gas-a-terias" (now called self-serve stations), and radio jingles which people hummed, were examples of his successful promotions. E.B. Gilmore rarely missed an opportunity to serve the public whose trade had built his enterprise - and in Los Angeles in the 1930s and '40s, he gave them sports.


RACE CARS
In 1934, a few months before Farmers Market opened (more on Farmers Market later), Gilmore built the first race car track designed specifically for midget racers, a venue built of love and commercial savvy. Gilmore loved racers and his marketing sense led him to support them as a "demonstration" of Gilmore Oil products.

His romance with cars extended well beyond the construction of Gilmore Stadium. As a sponsor, E.B. Gilmore took vehicles to the Winner's Circle at the Indianapolis 500. As a patron, he helped establish a land speed record which lasted for eight years. As a businessman, he created "Economy Runs" which evolved into modern stock car racing. In 1987, E.B. Gilmore was elected to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of fame.


Gilmore Stadium, located on Beverly Boulevard, just to the north of the La Brea Tar pits in Los Angeles, was a 1/5 mile stadium built in 1934 by Earl Gilmore to host midget racing. It was expanded to 1/4 miles in 1936, and had a crushed granite surface. The land was purchased in 1950 by CBS Television, and the last race was held on the 23rd November 1950..


FARMERS MARKET:
In July 1934, a contingent of farmers pulled their trucks onto an expanse of empty land at the property known as Gilmore Island, at the corner of Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles, and displayed their produce on the tailgates of their vehicles.
Customers quickly arrived and parked their cars on a hastily created dirt parking lot in spaces designated with chalk. They strolled among the trucks purchasing
fruit, vegetables and flowers.

The atmosphere was casual, the open air commerce enticing, the goods fresh, and the result remarkable. Farmers Market became an instant institution.

Roger Dahlhjelm and Fred Beck, two entrepreneurs trying to make the best of the Depression, approached E.B. Gilmore with "An Idea." Perhaps they were attracted by Gilmore's marketing flair or perhaps it was his expansive acreage in close proximity to the booming Los Angeles community.

Whatever the motivation, Dahlhjelm and Beck envisioned a "Village Square" where artisans would sell handmade goods - pottery, furniture, textiles - from stalls surrounding a central market where farmers would sell their produce to housewives. Dahlhjelm and Beck had architectural renderings and a vast vision.

E.B. Gilmore had a large vacant field, and the "Idea" was given life. The concept of elaborate architecture gave way to wooden stalls, and the vast vision gave way to a modest business approach - farmers were charged a mere 50¢ per day "rent" - but the "Idea" had a power all its own.

Farmers Market reached and surpassed the lofty vision which launched it. By the time the decade had lapsed, the gross was greater than the predicted six million dollars, but commercial volume was the least of the Market's achievements

Farmers Market became the central meeting place for Angelenos - "Meet me at 3rd and Fairfax" is still one of the most common phrases in the city. It also became, and remains, the must-see tourist attraction in Southern California.

Farmers Market has been the home to circus acts, parades, petting zoos, and stargazing. It was also the source of a daily newspaper column which, at its height, rivaled "Dick Tracy" in popularity. Chef Baloni, the irrepressible Fred Beck, made his home here and offered cooking tips and Farmers Market recipes.

As a part of an expansion and reconstruction project in 1941, Farmers Market became the home of the Clock Tower, which has become an international landmark. In tribute to Earl B. Gilmore, Roger Dahlhjelm, and Fred Beck, the words "An Idea" were inscribed on the Clock Tower.

After 68 years, and undoubtedly 68 more, Farmers Market remains an idea whose time is now.

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

[This message has been edited by oltoydoc@pacbell.net (edited 11-02-2004).]
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Don "oltoydoc" Sherwood
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Vintage Gas

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#97899 - Mon Nov 01 2004 09:23 AM Re: "Co. of the Month" GILMORE OIL

Last edited by s932; Mon Sep 30 2013 12:24 PM.

Originals only for me. Always looking for Simpson oil, Super A, and MFA oil cans and globes.
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This Gilmore is at the Red Horse Drive In in Ellensburg, WA. The restaurant was a subject of discussion a while back. I had a chance to stop there this week and have a good burger and admire the signs, etc.

Gilmore.jpg

Alex
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That's a nice Wayne

Last edited by Oilcanman87; Mon Sep 30 2013 02:24 PM.

Oilzum, 1qt Oil Cans, Gas and Oil smalls, Oldsmobile collectables.
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Last edited by pumpingethyl; Mon Sep 30 2013 04:05 PM.

Dennis Leith / Always looking for unusual Gilmore Oil Company items and Automobilia Displays
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Was just at the Red horse diner yesterday, good food and great service.


Craig
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Ed Shaver


see ya on the road folks !
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Last edited by pumpingethyl; Mon Sep 30 2013 04:02 PM.

Dennis Leith / Always looking for unusual Gilmore Oil Company items and Automobilia Displays
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Last edited by pumpingethyl; Mon Sep 30 2013 04:13 PM.

Dennis Leith / Always looking for unusual Gilmore Oil Company items and Automobilia Displays
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Last edited by pumpingethyl; Mon Sep 30 2013 04:11 PM.

Dennis Leith / Always looking for unusual Gilmore Oil Company items and Automobilia Displays
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HOLY CR@P!!!!!!!! Denis, I can tell you LOVE gilmore!!! I was in awe when I saw the pictures!!


Looking for any cans! PM me what ya got!
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2nd picture is not mine, Visible Paddle that sold on ebay.

GILMORE LADIES ROOM.jpg gilmore paddle.jpg
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Sell me your Gilmore Oil Co. stuff...
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One of the earliest items I have is this book... "The Growth of Gilmore". If you had some extra "cheddar" in 1923, and were looking to invest in a "new" company named Gilmore Oil, you could send for this book...



Book tells a bit of the California Oil history as well as Gilmore history and aspirations. Book also shows many pics of early Gilmore stations...



Sell me your Gilmore Oil Co. stuff...
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Gilmore never had an aviation grade fuel (to my knowledge), but in the early '20s, they were the preferred choice at a few airports. Here's a flyer from 1923, talking about the use of Gilmore Gasoline at Rogers Airport in Los Angeles, as well as a photo advertising that Rogers Airport uses Gilmore...




Last edited by GILMORE; Mon Sep 30 2013 05:48 PM.

Sell me your Gilmore Oil Co. stuff...
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Great stuff so far !!!!!!!!!! Ede Shaver


see ya on the road folks !
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