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I am looking for as many facts (company history) of polly gas as possible. Does anybody know of any good websites, books, etc. where I can get information on this company. I have been searching for a couple of months and the information seems to be very scarce. I appreciate it. Thanks.

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~Jason
http://www.galtsmiles.com/Jason's%20Antiques.html


~Jason

6 ft signs & rare pump plates – Signal, Hancock, Mohawk, Polly, Flying A, Douglas, Richfield, PDQ, Stinker, Beeline, Neon , Dealership.

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we didn't have polly gas on the east coast but, i too would like to learn more about this company .... Dwaine Buck and company to the rescue ????...

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Dwaine is researching that right now and will get back to you as soon as he locates the info. on his computer from the land of OZ. Try Wilshire for a search it might lead you somewhere.

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I have tried every search I can think of with and without wilshire. There is not a lot out there on the internet from what I can gather.

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~Jason
http://www.galtsmiles.com/Jason's%20Antiques.html


~Jason

6 ft signs & rare pump plates – Signal, Hancock, Mohawk, Polly, Flying A, Douglas, Richfield, PDQ, Stinker, Beeline, Neon , Dealership.

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You can't go by Scott Benjamins book, Wilshire oil came to and started building a refinner in 1910 from Texas, there still in Texas, I don't care what there book says.

Polly was a inedpendent gas station chain. not a oil producer, just a chain of stations owned by independent owns and bought there gas from anyone, thats how Wilshire became owns of Polly, Polly owed them a lot of money durring the depression years, so Wilshire through court owned 51% like tidewater did Seaside, like Standard did Signal, like Signal did Hancock. Regal, billips, Watson, even though Signal was supplying the oil it was comeing from Standard, Polly had three globes that had nothing to do with Wilshire, the Polly 16", the Polly 15" and the Lighting bolt from Polly gas, even after Wilshire owned 51% Polly still ran as an indpendent subsidairy until the fourties, saleing Wilshire products, thats all for to day,
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Heres some more info, the black pump thing is not fact, the early pumps that I stripped of paint that had Polly logos on them were dark green, not black , as the 13 1/2 " globe that guys have been buying for 20years? the logo was taken from a can not an original globe, the logo I put on your T-shirt is from an original decal supplied by Mr. Morgan the other Pump Master, I'm trying to get you a T-shirt now Morg. and for that lovely Bride, and to put another question to rest. are you ready???? from 1883, when they started takeing oil from the La Bra tar area , and Standard oil , Vacuum, Seaside,Bankline, watson, all the early oil companys offices were in ???? San Francisco, till 1912, why you ask , the big earth quake, destroies all the office buildings they were all in the same area, so all the records of the early activities were burned up, thats why you have to talk to the old timers, and its not always right, either he wanders off or I do , ha ha ha . check it out , search the web + Wilshire oil co, there still strong in Texas, are we haven fun, ????????

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So what were the original colors of the pump? I have never even seen an original pump. The repro colors range from light green, regular green, forest green, teel green, yellow, & black? What are the real colors for the original pumps? I still haven't heard a start date of the company and who started it? Where did the polly logo come from?

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~Jason
http://www.galtsmiles.com/Jason's%20Antiques.html


~Jason

6 ft signs & rare pump plates – Signal, Hancock, Mohawk, Polly, Flying A, Douglas, Richfield, PDQ, Stinker, Beeline, Neon , Dealership.

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Your just a kid, no you've never seen an original pump, "hey dad how you doing , still working on that ol rusty **** ?" ha ha ,give me 20.00. ha ha ha , you know all the pumps your dad has behind the shop? go back there and strip them , just kidding , heres the original colors on the economy can . the Polly was painted the Dark green.with light or yellow trim, the Economy was also painted the Dark Green. the Radio was painted the lighter Green , so as far as seeing original pictures , no to many colored ones back then, the Economy can is from 1930-32. Wilshire used these colors till son]me time in the early forties as did the bird. most companies changed there colors ???? why??? you answer.


[This message has been edited by Dwaine Buck (edited 10-09-2003).]

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Hey , you guys tired of hearing me yet???? ha ha . theres just a lot about all the west coast companys we don't know, if your a Phillips 66 collector give me an email and I'll show you something you've never seen before. or I might just wait. but back to Polly, It was Wilshires cheapist brand, thats why they didn't keep it all. all they really wanted was the locations of the mom and pop stations they were mostly on corners,
the Polly cans were only made for a few years that why there so high dollar, Before Wilshire took over Polly Gas , Polly never had OIL. only Wilshire did it foe a few years and only in soldier seamed cans , the PREM is the most exspensive, eh Ted. ha ha ha . have fun Jason, and all you young guys, its a great Hobby , so do your home work. don't be a dealer, just a trader /collector.

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Thanks for all the info Dwaine. You know whats funny is that I was trying to decide what color green to paint my polly pump that I am working on and I picked dark green for the sides just because I thought it looked better. I have never seen one done in dark green before (other than my dad's visible). Most of them are done in lighter green. So all those guys painting there polly pumps that lighter green have been restoring there pumps with the wrong green? Anyway, I am going to see if I can collect more info on Polly gas. I am more interested in who founded the company, what year, and why they chose that logo.

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~Jason
http://www.galtsmiles.com/Jason's%20Antiques.html


~Jason

6 ft signs & rare pump plates – Signal, Hancock, Mohawk, Polly, Flying A, Douglas, Richfield, PDQ, Stinker, Beeline, Neon , Dealership.

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Dwaine, I am trying to get a handle on the original Polly color scheme also. If the color was dark green, was the lighter shade of green as shown on your can example the color that was used for trim or door color? If so, they used this color scheme in conjuction with the Black globes? I am still trying to get my friend to work on the Polly decal from the image you sent me. He is slow as molasses. Thanks!!!

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This is an old message from Dwaine Buck on August 23, 2002.
"most of your small independent companys sold there product on street corners in front of automobile dealers buildings , polly used stores in the country and along so called state hiways in the late teens early 20ties .
until Wilshire was able to establish stations in the later 20ties , Mr. Wilshire had a daughter named Polly thats where the name came from , and most of the porcelain signs came from the late 20ties even though there wasn't alot made the globes also ,
in the 30ties when they stated canning oil they used the parrot only for a few years , polly faded out in the fortys , i got this information from an old seaside distributor 94 years old , thats about all that he new about polly , maybe some one else might know some more ."

It appears that you guys have been trying to reveal the mystery of Polly for about 2 years. Nobody has really put together a complete history. A lot of information out there about this company contradicts itself. The colors seem to be the hardest thing to figure out. I would like to see a complete history of this company written. If we all pull together and get info, maybe we can get an article written. Just a thought.

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~Jason
http://www.galtsmiles.com/Jason's%20Antiques.html


~Jason

6 ft signs & rare pump plates – Signal, Hancock, Mohawk, Polly, Flying A, Douglas, Richfield, PDQ, Stinker, Beeline, Neon , Dealership.

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How soon we forget. all the answer are on this site you have to look for them. i some times forgit I said this ha ha ha . where's Bobby Lewis.

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Dwaine. pca-west.org
http://www.caltel.com/~jlgas/
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