During the 1950s & 60s there used to be several Filling Stations in Haigler. There was the BAY Station on the east side of town, where the new Highway 27 /34 junction is now. It had a cafe in one side. It was a sort of truck stop and repair shop.The Texaco Station was a block west of the old Hiway 27/34 junction and was run by Jim Dexter, who lived just across the street next door to the Catholic Church. There was also a cafe in the east side of this station.
The Conoco Station was on the corner of Main and Highway 34 and was owned and operated by Buck Ryan. He also had some little motel cabins on the east side. His bathroom had an outside west entrance where you could pop in without him knowing!
The Phillips 66 Station was on Highway 34 just west of Main Street and was also a car dealership. Wally McKay owned it. It seems like he also had a welding shop there.
Then, you could also buy gas at the Haigler Equity, located on the north end of Main Street.
In later years, Jimmy Smith opened a truck stop on the west end of town which had the Texaco sign on it. He also moved one of the schoolhouses from out south of town onto the property and had a cafe in there run by his wife, Velda. (I think it was the West 10 building)
I think there was probably a station at one time where Ward Wonder's shop was. At the old highway 27 and 34 junction.
Haigler was a busy town in those days! It was too far to drive all the way to Wray, Benkelman or St. Francis just for gas.
The gas prices were a little lower then, also. I think gas was about 10 cents a gallon. Then I remember when it went up to 18 cents and an unheard of amount of 26 cents.
These stations were actually called SERVICE stations because, the attendant would come out and wash your windshield, fill you tank, check your oil and tire pressure.
Do you remember GAS WARS? Everyone tried to sell gas at a lower price than the guy across the street, so the business would all come his way. That would be a GOOD thing to get back!
(Comments and corrections are welcome)
In your article Haigler filling stations I wish to clarify some of the points.The farthest station to the east known as the Bay station now the corner lube was also operated by James A Smith This was the first station he was involved with.He then moved on down the street to what was later known as the Jim Dexter Standard.He operated (leased) this from Henry Gies and ran the Cafe there.Of the Haigler notables that helped him in the operation of the cafe were Edna Zuege who later cooked at the Haigler Public Schools,And Mrs DeGarmo.along with his wife Velda.In the early 60s he built the station on the far west side of Haigler and moved the old school house in for the cafe which he called the Rebel Inn.At this station Jim Dexter came to work as his bulk fuel driver and bookkeeper.Jim D had been farming up until then if my memeory is right.The cafe was operated by several people (leased)Maxine and Claudine Wiley being the most notable as well as a retired truckdriver that left to go work with children on the Indian Reservations of South Dakota-I cant remember his name.Jim Dexter left James employ to take over the standard oil station.At that time the cafe was ran by Mrs Paul Kamla and continued until its closure.Jim and Illlene and there son operated this station with Jim driving school bus for the Haigler schools for several years and declining health set in .James A Smith closed the Texaco in late 1969 due to decling traffic.Willis Buck Ryan operated his Connoco station later selling to Eddie and Emma Brunswig.At one time in Haiglers history there were also pumps at what was known as Stassers IHC later on as well as the old Douglass6 repair shop that had been owned by the Wiley family .The old Wonder Garage also had a pump and tanks.In earlier times about all repair shops had a gas pump so there could even me some more out there.The Mckay family station was originally a car dealership and repair faccility.Upon Mrs McKays loss of her husband she went to just a filling station .There was still model A and T parts available thru her until late in the 60s early 70s until her failing health and retirement
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for these comments. Your memory is much more accurate than mine. When I read what you had to say, I said to myself, "Yes, that's right. I forgot about that."
ReplyDeleteThanks. Sherri
Dorothy McKay, who was Hugh McKay's third wife (two previous wives had passed on) was the last one to run the Phillips 66-McKay Garage-Service Station. A few years after Hugh passed away Dorothy remarried and moved to Ohio, at that time the doors to history closed. The building had been the West Livery Stable, the Golden Rod Garage, McKay's Phillips 66 Station. I remember Hugh wore a Phillips 66 Duster when he came out to pump gas. Dorothy kept the McKay House in Haigler and used it when they came back to visit. My father and mother checked the house and made sure the heat was on in the winter.When Dorothy passed away the house and contents were sold.
ReplyDeleteCal Freehling