My dad owned this newly built Sunoco station back in 1959 in Villa Park,Illinois.
The pump shows $1.00 bought 3 gallons of gas.
Notice back then there were 6 blends of octane available.
Also bottled Coca-Cola in wooden crates at the full service island and in front of the station
These pics were taken during the grand opening in May 1959
and he continued to own and operate this station for several years.


My dad in black pants (center)between the clowns

My dad and his service guys in a grand opening group photo

My dad filling a Cadillac at the full service island

My dad cleaning the windows on the Cadillac

 

Great pictures Gary. I can remember back in the early 70's putting a buck in my friends 64 bug and driving around Toronto all night long.

 

Gary,

Great Classic Pics!

"Those were the Days, my Friend, those were the Days!"

Thanks for sharing!

SF

 

What cool photos! It is amazing how much things have changed!

BTW that clown is scary looking lol.

 

Yup those were the days (1959) 3 years before I was born.
He owned and operated this station from May 1959 for several years.

 

Thanks for sharing that Gary. Thats when times were simple.

 

Mary Hopkin - "those were the days"-'68:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5pkkAhETYg

Enjoy!

SF

 

In memory of a great dad
11/20/26 - 6/11/02

The last photo I took of him 5/4/02 (5 weeks before he passed suddenly at home with no known illness)
Standing in front of his grade school on the same steps he stood on for his grammer school photo
I call it his goodbye photo....RIP dad

 

Great photos Gary. They are in amazingly good condition.

1959 was a very good year.

 

Thanks for sharing Gary. That's when you could call them a real "service station." You cleaned the windows and got under the hood on every car. Some times when you would be under the hood the jerk off driver, to get your attention, would blow the horn and scare the crap out of you.


That was the same year that I went to work at the corner Shell station. The picture of my 1961 Corvette in my users gallery was taken behind the Shell Station. Notice the 1950's era Chevy in the background. I ended up managing it for a while after high school . Things in the pictures brought back memories like the Anco Wiper cabinet. I see the Top Value stamp sign and the pop crates. Remember those?

During that era, we had a Service Station magazine that came out monthly and they published true stories that were sent in by station owners. One story I'll never forget was about the woman who stopped at the station and asked the attendent in the lube room if they had a rest room. The noise level was quite high in the lube room and the attendent thought she said wisk broom, to which he replied " no lady, we don't but if you want to back over to the air hose, I'll blow it out for you."

 

Nice Gary. I've got goose bumps just remembering. Thanks for sharing.

 

Sorry to hear about your father Gary. I love the old pics! Just for fun. the light color car in the garage is a 58 Chevy, the dark one is a 57? buick special, the one at the pumps is a 58 cadi. I can't tell on the others. Anybody else?? If you have any other pics please share em'

 

the guy w/ the cadi must have sold chain saws..huh...???

 

Gary we should have a Dad thread, my Dad was grt...lost him in '03 at 83...miss you Dad...

 

Yup, good eye Lee, a 1957 Buick Special:
Just like this, my First car ($450 used) in 1963.
(I called it "my Tank"!)

 

Great memories Gary. Boy, that's when service stations were spelled with a capital 'S" . Can you imaging having a service attendant today? Much less wearing a tie.

Check your oil sir?

 

Thanks for sharing these great pics Gary.

Hey Gary dont tell anyone ,but the pic of your dad waving brought a tear.

 

Gary- thanks for sharing the personal side of your Pops and your family. Memories from our childhood are worth everything now that we are hum.... a little older . Interesting that he supported a family and business on gas at what .33 cents a gal or so. Now the oil companies boo hoo that they are "just getting by " with billions of dollars in profit. Your pictures are golden, the oil companies are ***** dogs.

 

that guy dressed up as a clown looks like he will kill you without thinking lol

 

Looks like a 55 Dodge parked next to maybe a Plymouth in the back row, along with the 49/50ish Chevy in the far right corner of the photo.
Great photos Gary, really brought back some memories.