Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Found a picture of another old station

I was looking at some old negatives today and noticed a couple of gas pumps in one of them so I scanned it and here's what I found.



The view is looking south on Highway 101 through Buellton, California circa 1930. Down the street you can see the diamond shaped AAA sign hanging in front of the "Bueltmore Hotel" and just past that is a sign for "Andersen's Electrical Cafe". For those of you that have traveled through this part of California, you would know this restaurant as "Andersen's Pea Soup".

Here is an aerial shot showing the same service station in the lower right corner, although is has been rebranded from Shell to Texaco. The aerial shot is circa 1938.



Andersen's restaurant is still in the same location as in these photos, however the highway was moved out of the center of the town around 1965. The station seen in the lower left across the highway is a Gilmore.

[This message has been edited by the poor mans museum (edited 03-13-2007).]

Excellent photos as always Curt. Miss reading about your "neck of the woods". Hope you been well.
Bob

Curt,
I miss living along the central coast...you're making me homesick.

------------------
Chuck

Signs Wanted: Sunset, Clipper, Habor, Indian, Powerlube, Beacon, Sinclar Aircraft

Curt,
Thanks for the photos. Good job!!

However, I'm confused about the location. You stated that the view was looking south on US101. As I recall, Andersen's is located on Hwy 246 between US101 and the old route (now called Avenue of the Flags). Please clarify. Thanks.

Paul

Good eye Pablo and thanks for looking guys. I actually caught that as I was writing it and thought that I had fixed it, but you're correct in that we are looking NORTH (toward San Francisco), not south toward Los Angeles.

Bob, I've been doing just fine and I'm busier than a one armed wallpaper hanger. I've been so embroiled in local history that my Petro collecting has been limited to the occasional map and pictures of stations like the one above that I scare up every once in awhile.

Speaking of road maps, here's one that none of you have probably seen before. I also have a sign to go with it but will have to take a picture before I can post it.



And a litter bag to go with it...



Just imagine the octane rating in pea soup gasoline. Those that have had it know what I'm talking about.

Just 'cause the menu says eat all the PEA SOUP ya want, DON'T !
The wife will make ya sleep OUTSIDE ! LOL
Been there, done that.
db

Great to see you're back in the game, Curt. Dick is sooo right. Although my wife and I almost always have lunch at Andersen's we NEVER have the pea soup after nearly exploding in a motel room!!
Curt, love those Keesee pumps in your first picture. I wonder if they are to ones now in Jack Mendenhall's collection?
Ranchpump

ranchpump,
WHERE HAVE YA BEEN HIDING ?
HOPE A PUMP DIDN'T HAVE YA PINNED DOWN !
db

Hey Al (ranchpump) good to hear from you. Don't know if you heard but our painter Willy passed away several months back. You got those pumps done just in time. He ended up with a couple of mine that I will probably never see again, but that's the way it goes!

Here's the Andersen's Pea Soup sign, which I also just posted in BOTW. I actually bought this one several months ago from a guy I met at a garage sale and then this past week Mark Mendenhall gave me another one for our collection at the Buellton Historical Society. I now have two and know there is another one in an old station on Avenue of the Flags that is now a car lot.

This was used in the mid 1970's when Andersen's owner Vince Evans opened a series of service stations along with the restaurants. He planned on expanding the Andersen's franchise throughout California and probably into other western states, until he was tragically killed in an airplane crash in April of 1980.



Somehow Evans had a connection for wholesale gasoline during the oil embargo days of the late 70's and was able to get it to his stations. Remember the odd and even days?

Curt,
I'm very saddened to hear that Willy Brown has passed away.
Thanks to your introduction, I benefitted immensely from my association with Willy. He restored four pumps for me.
Once, I stopped by after he closed his shop in Carpenteria. I peeked through the dusty door window. The emptiness that so dramatically contrasted with the clutter and wonderful projects that Willy had in progress filled me with a deep sense of loss.
By the way, Dick Bennett wondered if a pump fell on me. No, I only have a two-car garage and I have no more room for pumps. I don't live in a place like Santa Paula ("exclusive enclave of languid sensuality") where there is plenty of space for petroliana!

Ranchpump

Al,
Plenty of space, but others have been stripping the woods for pumps around here. I still know of a FEW, only because they are not for sale.
One of these days maybe you will stop by, instead of passing thru.
db