restoration of a 1930's Texaco in Decatur Il

There are several pages that show how this neglected service station was brought from the edge of abandoned neglect to primo condition in every way, but there is a terrific slide show at http://www.decaturtexaco.com/the-transformation.html that you just push the forward button to see all sides and interior areas compared in a before and after. http://www.decaturtexaco.com/the-transformation.html

The forest green roof and white color scheme is period perfect, researched by Nims and corroborated by ancient paint chips uncovered during the restoration. The cute colored advertising globe lights on little parapets adorning the roof have been put back in place, and a stained glass light-up Texaco star over the entrance shines out proudly after it was fabricated to match a missing original.

The big Texaco hanging sign crowning the forecourt is an original that Nims hunted up online, and the 14-foot fluted metal pole it hangs from were commissioned for the purpose. Matching 10-foot light poles � two at the front, two at the back � of the 80-foot-long forecourt were another re-created touch.

The 1,200-square-foot-building features work bays at the east and west ends with a little office in the middle flanked by a bathroom small enough to fit comfortably inside a Toyota Prius; hard-working auto service guys in the 1930s clearly weren�t meant to park themselves in the restrooms for extended periods. The work areas are lit by 6-by-6-foot windows that let vast quantities of daylight drive through the interior.

�There are over 300 panes of glass in this building, I do know that,� says Nims, 62. �I had to replace them all.�

Info and star photo from a big article on http://herald-review.com/news/local/effort-to-restore-a-s-gas-station-adds-fuel-to/article_b1b0cab2-1c39-11e2-87e4-001a4bcf887a.html

overcoming a power out caused by a hurricane

On September 21, 1938 a hurricane roared north, slamming the U.S. Northeast coast with 120-mile-an-hour winds and a storm surge that left parts of Providence Rhode Island, under nearly 14 feet of water.

88% of the New England Power Association's customers had no electric service�including this New London, Connecticut, gas station.

Hundreds of automobiles were stalled for lack of fuel on New England roads until this youngman came up with a brilliant solution

Photo from https://www.facebook.com/Asliceofworldhistory?ref=stream via https://www.facebook.com/groups/353785941367129/

The redwood stump gas station is still around, and now also has a museum

At Ukiah California, the "World's Largest" Redwood tree service station is located on Highway 101 in North Ukiah, California, and has proven a mecca for tourists since 1936. Over 1,500 years old, this tree was carefully selected from a grove of monster Redwoods 17 miles west of Ukiah, quartered and reassembled in its present location. http://www.rwtukiah.com/aboutus.htm

The office is one trunk, and each of the two restrooms are also large trunks. Inside of the main trunk are a few odds of ends of old gas station, and the original gas pumps are still out front.

posted by https://www.facebook.com/dennis.toth.127?fref=nf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WorldsLargestRedwoodTreeServiceStation.jpg

100 years of Service Stations, a book by a lifelong collector

Here's the start of a lifetime fascination with petroliana

his book looks like something I need to get my hands on!

Notice that great gas station? It's something I just coincidentally posted yesterday http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-wow-photo-servicar-harley-steam-pump.html

http://www.amazon.com/One-Hundred-Years-Gas-Stations/dp/0965573664/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425164740&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Wayne+henderson+100+years+of+Service+Stations

For the book. It's about $50.00... and I can't afford that. If anyone has a used copy for $20.00, let me know!

the only advertising sign I've ever seen for Bowers battery and ignition service.

Found on https://www.facebook.com/groups/353785941367129/

a terrific photo of the grand opening of a Goodyear Tire location... and some details of that shot have some cool things

cool photo huh!

but when you look close at the cluster of cars, you can see the impeccably dressed gas pump attendents, in white with hats.... and the 4 pumps per island. See the delivery truck? Baffle Bar? Pepper Tree? Huh.... no wonder it's not around now a days

and the miniature blimps, and off to the far left the big tread demonstration vehicle.

They must have been selling a lot of gas, as the fuel tanker is right on site to make sure they didn't go dry.