Death of a Gas Station

They now lie vacant and still. In the past, drivers came for a fill. With clean restrooms and soda machines, these stops were once places with lively scenes. “Let me check your oil and clean your windshield.” That is what attendants said at Esso and Richfield. There was also Sinclair, Atlantic, and Flying-A. These names are all part of an earlier day. They were there to help motorists on their way. Whether they drove a Hudson, Studebaker, or Thunderbird, service was always the key word. The pumps are rusty and the windows are boarded. The old signs are now damaged and distorted. Walls of the buildings are overgrown with ivy. Business was brisk at the height of their activity. However, all that was there is only a memory.