The Shell Oil service station at Airport Road and Pacific. Ordered by Cliff Olson.

Shell Oil Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A Texaco gas station sits next to a radio and television sales and service facility on the left and Ridgecrest Garage on the right. Utility poles and wires are plentiful at this location. Located near the Northgate shopping area. Ordered by Phares Advertising. TPL-9074

Automobile service stations--Seattle;

Shell Station #L814 was newly opened in the summer of 1951; it was located on South 38th Street near Thompson. Owned by Lyle Edwards, Edwards Shell Station had two gasoline pumps in a large parking lot. A banner advertising that Shell provided the "most powerful gasoline you can use" hung over the office entrance. The familiar "shell" shaped sign alerted customers to the new service station.

Edwards Shell Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Schumm's Associated Service, self service gas station. Four sets of two pumps with building at rear of lot, Miller Tire and oil display. Trailers in extreme background. Ordered by Fletcher Oil Company.

Business Enterprises - Automobile Service Stations - Associated Dealers - Tacoma - Schumm's Associated Service

Ernie's Lakewood Center Service, a Union 76 gas station. Man servicing automobile at left. The Lakewood Center Service was located at 9404 Gravelly Lake Dr. S.W. and was operated by Ernie Eichler.

Lakewood Center Service Co. (Lakewood); Automobile service stations--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Close up of Ernie's Lakewood Center Service with a Union 76 station. Photograph was taken on Halloween, 1951, of the service station located at 9404 Gravelly Lake Dr. S.W. Operated by Ernie Eichler, it celebrated its grand opening on December 3, 1949.

Lakewood Center Service Co. (Lakewood); Automobile service stations--Lakewood--1950-1960;

250 feet of property on South Tacoma Way. A Dairy Queen is on the left. Serve UR Self Gas Station and George Dayton Auto Parts are further along South Tacoma Way on the right. Ordered by Queen Petroleum Company. Queen Petroleum Company was owned by F.H. and Paul Lucien, E.W. Bittner and A.J. Brenninger.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma; Queen Petroleum Co. (Tacoma); George's Car Market (Tacoma); Automobile repair--Tacoma; Drive-in restaurants--Tacoma; Dairy Queen (Tacoma); Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Mobilgas Station, automobile by gas pumps, Coke Machine. For West Marquis Inc., Dexter Horton Inc., Seattle Account of General Petroleum.

Business Enterprises - Automobile Service Stations - Mobil Oil Dealers - Tacoma

The interior of the Big 6 Service Station at Sixth and Proctor showing the lubricating equipment as photographed in February of 1952. The hoist for an automobile is lying flat against the floor. Stacks of supplies are stacked neatly on shelves against the rear wall. Large containers of motor oil with pumps showing at the top are seen against the wall on the left.

Big Six Service (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma;

ca. 1938. Beacon Service Station at 84th Street and South Tacoma Way. For Richfield Oil Corporation of California. (T. Times)

Beacon Service Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Gasoline pumps--1930-1940;

ca. 1938. Beacon Service Station at 84th Street and South Tacoma Way. Attendant handing customer a spark plug, display of Richfield products. For Richfield Oil Corporation of California. (T. Times) (filed with Argentum)

Beacon Service Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile equipment & supplies;

Searchlights pierce the darkness of a winter evening as they beckon drivers to the new Shell Service Station at South Twenty Sixth Street and Pacific Avenue on December 6, 1952. Owned by Jesse C. McGee and Kenneth T. Baker, the gas station was actually located at 2523 Pacific Avenue. It celebrated its grand opening in early December with free giveaways. This view of the exterior of the new station was taken from across the street. The station, with the company name aglow in neon, apparently had four pumps and a small repair facility. Photograph ordered by Shell Oil. (TNT 12-4-52, D-3--ad)

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Twenty Sixth & Pacific Shell Service (Tacoma); Searchlights--Tacoma; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960; Electric signs--Tacoma--1950-1960; Shell Oil Co., Inc. (Tacoma);

It appears that Harry Carollo of Auburn has just taken over ownership of the new Shell station at 2520 South Tacoma Way in June, 1953. A Shell dealer training school truck is parked outside the station's garage. Mr. Carollo's name hangs proudly on a sign on the plate glass window listing him as the proprietor. A large sign indicating that the station cleaned windshields is prominently placed in the circular office building attached to the garage. Another sign indicates that Shell is the "most powerful gasoline your car can use." The site was listed in the 1953 City Directory as a Firestone store; by 1954, it had both Harry's Firestone and Harry's Shell Station at the same address. Liberty Drive-In had opened a restaurant at that location in 1946 but had apparently moved since then.

Harry's Shell Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Night scene of Wolford and Brazeau Shell service station at the intersection of 6th Ave. & Sprague. The station was owned by Arnold H. Wolford and Vernon F. Brazeau. All proceeds of gasoline sales on October 17, 1953 were being donated to the Cerebral Palsy children.

Wolford & Brazeau Service Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fund raising--Tacoma;

Exterior of new service station, Friendly Franks Serv-Ur-Self, ordered by Fletcher Oil Co. The station is offering free gas for its Grand Opening Friday & Saturday. The brand of the gasoline is Veltex. Uncommon in the fifties, the self service station kept prices low by offering no attendants to pump gas.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Exterior of new service station, Friendly Franks Serv-Ur-Self, ordered by Fletcher Oil Co. The station is offering free gas for its Grand Opening Friday & Saturday. The brand of the gasoline is Veltex. The larger building at the rear was most probably the automotive shop. The smaller unit in the center of the pumps most probably held a cashier. Flag streamers flap in the air to call attention to the Grand Opening. Not yet a common sight in the fifties, self service stations were making their mark by offering lower prices.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960;

New service station at 54th & Pacific, for General Petroleum. Doug & Cliff's Mobilgas Service Station. The station was owned by Douglas E. Garrett & Clifford J. Lawson. The pair ran large ads for their Grand Opening October 23 & 24, 1953. Opening give-aways included gifts for the ladies, balloons & candy for the kiddies and twelve turkeys. (TNT 10/22/1953, pg. C-13)

Doug & Cliff's Service (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960;

There are apparently four gas pumps at this Shell Service Station, selling both regular and premium. A driver could not only fill up with gas, but also purchase tires and cans of oil, and have repairs made on his vehicle as well. Shell Oil had numerous stations in the Tacoma area; the station pictured here in March, 1954, might have been newly constructed near Thompson's Corner Cabins on South 84th Street.

Shell Oil Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps;

Sunshine Service, new General Petroleum Company Mobil station at South 48th and Park. Five automobiles at gasoline pump and two attendants.

Sunshine Service (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Sunshine Service, new General Petroleum Company Mobil station at South 48th and Park. Two automobiles at gasoline pumps and one in garage.

Sunshine Service (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Andy's Service Station, featuring Mobilgas, at 4801 So. Park Ave. Photos ordered by the General Petroleum Corp. Andy's was owned by Vincent M. Anderson. In addition to pumping Mobilgas, the station also sold tires and had a garage. One car can be seen on the lift in the garage. The winged horse logo of Mobil can be seen in several locations. According to the building index, the station was originally built in 1923.

Andy's Service Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960; Mobilgas--Tacoma;

Doug Garrett's Service station. Photos ordered by the General Petroleum Corp. The station was owned by Douglas E. Garrett, who had previously operated the station with a partner as Doug & Cliff's. The station sold Mobilgas and also had a repair garage.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1950-1960; Gasoline pumps--Tacoma--1950-1960; Automobiles--Tacoma--1950-1960; Doug Garrett's Service Station (Tacoma);

In September of 1955, three tow trucks and their drivers stand at the ready in front of Del's Service and Repair at 711 Tacoma Ave So. Del's was owned by Delbert Heim who took over Art's Auto Repair around 1953 and changed the name. The garage specialized in brake repair, and towing was available 24 hours a day. The building was originally constructed in 1929 for a cost of $38,000. The site includes the Washington Grocery (to the left) at 707 Tacoma Ave So. The same builder, Oscar Volk, built the 85 unit brick Washington Apartments to the left of the photograph at 7th and Tacoma Ave So. (actual address 518 So. 7th St.). Del moved his business to 224 St. Helens Ave. in the late 1950s.

Del's Service & Repair (Tacoma); Automobile repair--Tacoma--1950-1960; Wreckers (Vehicles);

Sumner E. Orr and E.J. Gauthier, proprietors of Tacoma's all-night garage Gauthier & Orr, were photographed receiving leases for six Union Oil stations from company officials E.C. Wilson, Tacoma agent, and N.W. Watson, special agent, on July 17, 1928 (order of men in photo unknown). They exchanged the documents at Station #119 located at 601 No. 1st St. The new owners planned for Tacoma motorists to receive the best service possible. They intended to install lifts for grease work and to modernize the equipment at each station. The six stations leased by the pair were located at 58th & S. Union, 25th & Jefferson Ave., N. 1st & Tacoma Ave. (pictured), 21st & Pacific Ave., East 11th & St. Paul Ave. and 302 Puyallup. (Tacoma Sunday Ledger, 7-22-28, p. G-5) BU-13106, TPL-9637

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Union Oil Co. of California (Tacoma); Orr, Sumner E.; Gauthier, E.J.; Wilson, E.C.; Watson, N.W.;

In the summer of 1919 the building at 218-220 St. Helens Avenue was the home of Sam J. Kenyon's Marmon Service Station and Bartons Auto Laundry. Mr. Kenyon specialized in servicing and repairing luxury automobiles known for their speed and power. The Marmon was manufactured from 1903 - 1933. Signage on the glass window indicates that the Kenyon shop also serviced "Locomobiles." The Locomobile was also manufactured in the US, from 1899 (steam version) and 1902 for the gas engine version, until 1928. Both car companies also produced race cars. To provide maximum service to its customers, Barton's, in the same building, was open "day and night" according to their sign. BU-13095

Marmon Service Station (Tacoma); Barton's Auto Laundry (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1910-1920; Vehicle maintenance & repair--Tacoma--1910-1920;

Located at 7th & Broadway was the big Wilkeson Garage. The 120-feet by 131-feet concrete building was the largest of its kind on the Pacific Coast. The service station added a top level for parking in April of 1924, a few months after work was completed on the rest of the structure. Wilkeson Garage carried Goodyear Tires, General Gasoline, Watson Stabilators, Wold-Wilkeson Motor Oil. G59.1-026

Wilkeson Garage & Service Station (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Exterior view of Pinky Young's gas station in August of 1926. According to photographer Marvin Boland's notes, the business was located at South 72nd and Park Avenue. They guaranteed their repair work, sold tires and tubes, provided air and water and even had a supplemental business in soft drinks, groceries, cigars and school supplies. Jersey Milk products were also available.

Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930; Pinky Young's Station (Tacoma);

Scotch Bloom Service Station & General Store. An unidentified couple stand with four children under the overhanging roof of the Scotch Bloom service station and general store in late May of 1927. The location of the facility was not given. A white picket fence adjoins the service station with openings so that customers could drive in and park or have their crankcase serviced. G48.1-120

Scotch Bloom; Automobile service stations; General stores; Fences; Signs (Notices);

The Otsuka Family opened the Panama Garage at 1320 Market Street in 1923. Roy, Eddie and Hidegoro Otsuka operated the repair shop, car wash and service station. The family posed for this photograph in front of their business in November of 1927. The business was later managed by Ted Semba and Ken Hayashi. It closed during World War II. TPL-6371; G48.1-042

Panama Garage (Tacoma); Japanese American families--Tacoma; Japanese Americans--Tacoma;

This is the Colonial Garage as pictured on December 20, 1927. It was operated by Frank J. Brennan and offered storage, repairs, simonizing and washing with day and night service. The garage was located in downtown Tacoma at 924 Court C. Part of the Rhodes Bros. Department Store is visible in the background.

Colonial Garage (Tacoma); Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1920-1930;