The times they are a changing *(:>*

[hipspics.freewebspace.com]

---

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
Steve Jobs

"There are only two mantras yum and yuk mine is yum "
Bernard Mickey Wrangle<>Tom Robbins<> "Still Life With Woodpecker"

"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
G.D. Kittredge III

"

One thing that surprised me was that there was self-serve going way back, I always thought that started in the 70s-80s.

I really liked the one with the cars stacked on the scaffolding racks.

The Cucamonga station is still standing, barely. It is finally being restored as a Route 66 museum I believe. Unfortunately the garage portion was razed a few years ago.

Gas station



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2013 01:47AM by Pat.

I stopped at Little America a few times when driving across the country, but that picture was before my time. The cars look early 1950s or thereabouts. I wonder if Signal was a local Los Angeles brand, maybe named after Signal Hill? Anybody know? Anybody know about Gilmore?

Thanks for the pictures. Quite a history reminder.

That was a great little collection...

I like that a couple of these local Orbit Stations from the 50s are being refurbished...

Lots of memories triggered. Thanks for posting.

I took this shot at Empire Mine.

Quote
Ca Bob
I stopped at Little America a few times when driving across the country, but that picture was before my time. The cars look early 1950s or thereabouts. I wonder if Signal was a local Los Angeles brand, maybe named after Signal Hill? Anybody know? Anybody know about Gilmore?

Thanks for the pictures. Quite a history reminder.

These links may dovetail it all together for you Ca Bob *(:>* I know this area well as I recall . . .

[www.oldgas.com]
It all began by a terrible freeze in the winter of 1921. An avacado, orange and lemon grower Sam Mosher had lost all his crops and was going broke. At this same time one of the largest oil fields ever found in CA. had just been discovered at Signal Hill near Long Beach. Sam Mosher along with many other curious people went to see what was going on. As Sam watched the wildcat wells being exposed he noticed all the fires at the tops and the natural gasoline that was going up into the atmosphere. He thought what if I could capture that stuff and sell it. It was all history after that. In this first week I will cover this part a little each day from 1922 to 1931. Below is a picture of what Signal Hill looked like in the 1920's.

[en.wikipedia.org]

The Signal Companies traced their history to the Signal Gasoline company, founded by Samuel B. Mosher in 1922. It renamed itself to Signal Gas & Oil in 1928 to reflect its expanding businesses; by the 1950s, Signal was the largest independent oil company on the West Coast of the United States and Mosher held large stakes in American President Lines and Flying Tiger Line. In 1964, Signal merged with the Garrett Corporation, an aerospace company, and the combined company adopted The Signal Companies as its corporate name in 1968.[1]

From Portland Oregon:






Wanted to start this off with a picture of my favorite pump done up in my favorite company. I chose Signal not only because I like the graphics associated with the company but in my father's lifetime of operating gas stations this was one of them. His Signal station was located in St. Helena CA. right after WW II.
The colors on this pump are not the original Signal colors to the best of my knowledge. The pumps color were like the the pump pictured below.

---

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
Steve Jobs

"There are only two mantras yum and yuk mine is yum "
Bernard Mickey Wrangle<>Tom Robbins<> "Still Life With Woodpecker"

"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
G.D. Kittredge III

"

The next to last picture is a 1952 Ford Sunliner. This is just like my first car, mine was blue on the bottom with a white top. Stick shift with a flathead V8, two, two barrel carbs and glass pack mufflers, great car.

We had gas wars on Woodward Avenue back in the 60's. I remember gas at 17¢a gallon! We would fight over who would cough up the dollar for the night's cruising!

I remember gas for 18 cents a gallon. We could go from Baltimore to Ocean City and back for $4.00 an have gas left over.

I remember those gas wars of the 1960's.
I was cruising down Beach Blvd. Hiway 39 in my 1952 Chevy Deluxe
6cylinder flathead with one 2 barrel carb, Baby Moons, traction bars
and one of those little racing steering wheels.

My first cross country trip on route 66 was January 1968
Long Beach, Calif. to NYC.

However I remember going through Cucamonga many times.
We lived in the San Gabriel Valley and my father used that
route when we visited my sisters in Las Vegas.

Life is good *(:>*
Rudie

---

“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
Steve Jobs

"There are only two mantras yum and yuk mine is yum "
Bernard Mickey Wrangle<>Tom Robbins<> "Still Life With Woodpecker"

"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
G.D. Kittredge III

"

Gilmore oil was a SoCal company. They built Gilmore Stadium (Field) and housed the Hollywood Stars baseball team on the site of the Farmers Market of today.
I remember Gulf stations, Flying A, a neighbor had a PDQ station on Sepulveda in the Valley.
There was another station/garage on Route 66 (Foothill Blvd) near Mills. All stone building as I remember.
Love the cars and locals.
Correct me if I'm in error: Msglee, are you referring to the man holding the door for the Lady shot of the '52 Ford? It's a Crestline Victoria hardtop not a Sunliner (Rag Top). I had the '53 version.
Rudie, your '52 Chev and my brothers '50 had valve in head 235 engines. Rocker arm cover on top of the engine.I had to check it out to be sure. Bottom shelf of the library is the trusty "Motor's Auto Repair" manual (1960) that my dad always used.
Great fun post!!

From first photo, The Bomber, it still exists, though no longer a gas station and it is also missing the nose of the plane. Goole Map of The Bomber

---

Two wrongs don't make a right, but, three rights make a left.

Quote
artie67
Gilmore oil was a SoCal company. They built Gilmore Stadium (Field) and housed the Hollywood Stars baseball team on the site of the Farmers Market of today.
I remember Gulf stations, Flying A, a neighbor had a PDQ station on Sepulveda in the Valley.
There was another station/garage on Route 66 (Foothill Blvd) near Mills. All stone building as I remember.
Love the cars and locals.
Correct me if I'm in error: Msglee, are you referring to the man holding the door for the Lady shot of the '52 Ford? It's a Crestline Victoria hardtop not a Sunliner (Rag Top). I had the '53 version.
Rudie, your '52 Chev and my brothers '50 had valve in head 235 engines. Rocker arm cover on top of the engine.I had to check it out to be sure. Bottom shelf of the library is the trusty "Motor's Auto Repair" manual (1960) that my dad always used.

Artie, your right, it was a 1952 Crestline Victoria. My 1958 Ford was a Sunliner. Dual mufflers got so hot, you had to pick up your feet in the back.
Great fun post!!

I think they should bring back the free drinking glasses and steak knives