Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Historical Notes

As automobile sales increased, the demand for fuel led to a more systematic way of delivering it, and in 1914 Standard Oil of California opened a chain of 34 homogeneous stations along the West Coast. Major oil companies moved quickly to secure their own gas dealers, made possible by technical advances in gasoline pumps. Soon pumps were being installed not only at the new service stations, but in front of hardware stores, feed companies, livery stables, and a variety of other retailers.

Super service stations were important elaborations of the original filling stations. Introduced in Los Angeles prior to World War I, super service stations combined operations that had been handled separately. Before that time, a motorist went one place for gas and oil, and other places for lubrication and cleaning, for repairs, or for tires and other accessories. Combining these activities was convenient for consumers and opened up new marketing possibilities for those interested in taking advantage of the boom in automobiles. The earliest known super service station—Service Town—was built in 1914, three miles from downtown Los Angeles. Several of these stations were constructed in southern California in the early 1920s and soon spread across the country.

Historical Notes

Violet Ray Gasoline was a unique type of gas introduced in 1928 by the General Petroleum Corporation. What made this fuel special was its violet color. General Petroleum wanted to market a superior anti-knock product which would fulfill all the requirements of high-compression type engines, as well as function perfectly in all other types of motors. It was developed in a violet color that would change if it was exposed to any inferior motor fuel.

Associated Oil Company was founded in 1901 and headquartered in San Francisco.  It served much of the Pacific West Coast, including Hawaii, as well as the Orient and merged with the Tidewater Oil Company in 1938.

Historical Notes

Leland and Mabel Dempsey came from Kansas to Van Nuys in 1921 and opened the Whitsett Service Station at 4912 Whitsett Ave.

Historical Notes

Architect Robert Venturi has called the gas station one of the world's first examples of a "decorated shed." A decorated shed is the opposite of a building designed to look beautiful, such as a cathedral. It is a building with this main architectural purpose: to be a backdrop for a sign that advertises what is sold inside. On any commercial strip, signs are what first catch the eye, not usually the design of the buildings.^*

Historical Notes

Today, you can find a replica of a gas station modeled after a 1936 era Gilmore Gas Station at Farmers Market. The 1936 replica and the one shown above are very similar. The station was put in place when the Grove Shopping Center was constructed adjacent to Farmers Market in 2002.

In 1929, this Gilmore station was torn down to make room for the E. Clem Wilson Building.

Historical Notes

Annandale Boulevard is now part of N. Figueroa Boulevard.

Historical Notes

In the 1920s and 1930s, as the automobile was becoming the default way to get around the Southland, buildings and structures in the area became more unique. These “hey-you-can’t miss-me!” buildings (referred to as Novelty or Programmatic Architecture) were made to pull automobile drivers right off the road.

Click HERE to see more examples of Programmatic Architecture.

Historical Notes

Zerolene Motor Oil was made by the Standard Oil Company, similar to Polarine even down to the polar bear on the ads.

Historical Notes

Some writers have claimed that this is the first car wash ever built, but not sure if this is correct.  The El Patio, owned by B.K. Gillespie, may have been the most influential of the early car washes, and Gillespie is credited with coming up with the super service station concept.

Historical Notes

By 1928, Gillespie and other investors began opening a chain of super centers under the Gillespie Automobile Laundry System name which included a gas station. One of these early backers was Will Hays, a cleaner of motion picture content.

Some sources suggest it may have been one of the earliest car washes, though its claim as the "first" is debated. The Whitsett Service Station (1921) in North Hollywood at 2912 Whitsett Avenue also offered early car care services, though it wasn’t a dedicated car wash.

Historical Notes

Gas Stations used to be called service stations ... they would rush to your car, check the water and oil, put air in your tires, wash your windows, and pump your gas.

Historical Notes

The petroleum exploration company California-Ventura Oil incorporated in 1927 with capitalization of $500,000. By 1929, the venture had several working drilling rigs when lightning sparked the “Sulphur Mountain Fire,” which destroyed the derricks.

As the Great Depression began, California-Ventura Oil Company discovered the Hermosa Beach oilfield. The newly revealed field proved to be a key addition to the prolific Torrance oilfield, discovered a decade earlier.*

Historical Notes

Richfield was established in 1915 by the merger of two small oil companies in Los Angeles, CA. They entered a competitive marketplace that was dominated by Standard, Shell, Associated and Union.

One of the ways that they chose to compete was to develop a more powerful gasoline. They were able to develop a gasoline with an octane rating of 75 which at that time was quite high. To promote this more powerful gasoline they offered it to race car drivers around the LA area and by 1921 they were supplying their products for the racers at the Indianapolis 500.**

Historical Notes

From 1921 to 1932 cars using Richfield gasoline took the top five places at Indy, which spawned their phrase ‘Gasoline of Power’.

To celebrate this success a statue was commissioned in 1926 and created by sculptor Finn Haakon Frolich. This large statue featured a dirt track racer sliding through a turn and was used as a monument at various Richfield stations to commemorate their racing successes.**

Historical Notes

There were more than 1,100 Gilmore Gas Statons throughout the West that sold only Gilmore products and another 2,400 that sold them along with other brands.

The clear glass globes at the top of gas pumps allowed the color of the gasoline to be seen. E.B. Gilmore jumped on this unique opportunity to become the first oil company to market its gas by its color. Blu-Green and Red Lion Gas fueled the cars and imaginations of West Coasters from the ’20s to the early ’40s. ***

Historical Notes

Westlake Park was renamed MacArthur Park in 1942.

Historical Notes

The above photo is undated, but possibly late 1920s to early 1930s, since Pope and Burton Architects didn't open their Los Angeles office until 1927.

Historical Notes

The above photo is undated, but possibly late 1920s to early 1930s, since Pope and Burton Architects didn't open their Los Angeles office until 1927.

Historical Notes

In 1929 the town of Zelzah’s name was changed to North Los Angeles.  In 1938, the name changed again to Northridge Village and promptly shortened to Northridge.

Historical Notes

From 1921 to 1932 cars using Richfield gasoline took the top five places at Indy, which spawned their phrase ‘Gasoline of Power’.

To celebrate this success a statue was commissioned in 1926 and created by sculptor Finn Haakon Frolich. This large statue featured a dirt track racer sliding through a turn and was used as a monument at various Richfield stations to commemorate their racing successes.

Historical Notes

Architect Henry L. Gogerty designed the 1929 Mandarin Market, a Chinese-style drive-in market located at 1234-1248 Vine Street, in Hollywood. The complex included a Texaco service kiosk, the Mandarin Bakery, a full meat and produce market, and a restaurant. This building later became the Hollywood Ranch Market and was demolished after a fire in 1981 for a 1984 mini mall.^

Historical Notes

The Mandarin Market was touted as being one of the first drive-in markets of its kind in Los Angeles. The architect was Henry L. Gogerty, who later designed "gliding acoustical walls" for classrooms, and assembly line buildings for Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose project.

Historical Notes

The National Kanteen Co built two of these Mangnus Root Beer drive-in restaurants in Hollywood in 1929.

Historical Notes

The Muller Bros. Service Station, located at 6380 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, was established in 1920 by brothers Walter and Frank Muller. Originally a small gas and tire center, the business quickly expanded by 1922 into a full-service automotive facility. It offered a wide range of services such as motor lubrication, washing and polishing, headlight testing, and tire vulcanizing. The Muller brothers also introduced a service car to aid stranded motorists, which helped build a reputation for reliability and customer service.

Historical Notes

The Muller brothers were quite the promoters and even had women in swimsuits parade around with signs selling things.

Historical Notes

The station's popularity soared throughout the 1920s and 1930s, growing to cover three acres at the busy corner of Sunset and Cahuenga and employing over 100 workers by 1937. Its location and customer-focused model attracted many Hollywood celebrities, including Rudolph Valentino and Clark Gable. In 1936, a major renovation introduced Streamline Moderne architecture designed by Douglas Hull McLellan and Allen McGill, aligning the facility with contemporary styles influenced by the Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago. Some original Spanish-Italian style structures, such as the car wash, were retained alongside the new additions.

Historical Notes

In its heyday, Muller Bros. was known not only for its scale but also for its promotional flair. In 1951, the station marked its three millionth car wash with a public celebration and the crowning of a "Miss Muller Bros." Despite its success, the site was sold in 1963 to pave the way for the Cinerama Dome Theatre, bringing an end to one of Hollywood’s most iconic service stations. Its blend of service, style, and celebrity appeal left a lasting impression on mid-century Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

The Richfield Oil Corporation was founded in 1905 and opened its first automotive service station in Los Angeles in 1917.  After quick expansion, Richfield Oil Corp fell to the Great Depression and went into receivership in 1931. 

Consolidated Oil Corp, in 1935, bought Richfield's eastern United States operations. This maneuver removed Standard Oil of California's interest in Richfield Oil. The east coast gas stations would later be rebranded as Sinclair stations.

Richfield Oil Corp emerged from receivership in 1936 after Rio Grande controlled by Consolidated Oil Corp and Cities Service Company agreed to a merger between Richfield Oil and Rio Grande.

The company merged with Atlantic Refining to form Atlantic Richfield Corp, also known as ARCO in 1966. ARCO in turn was purchased by BP p.l.c. in 2000.

Historical Notes

Union Oil (for many years based in El Segundo, California) introduced "76" gasoline in 1932. The name referred to the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence, and was also the octane rating of the gasoline in 1932.

Historical Notes

The Richfield Oil Corporation was founded in 1905 and opened its first automotive service station in Los Angeles in 1917.  After quick expansion, Richfield Oil Corp fell to the Great Depression and went into receivership in 1931. 

Consolidated Oil Corp, in 1935, bought Richfield's eastern United States operations. This maneuver removed Standard Oil of California's interest in Richfield Oil. The east coast gas stations would later be rebranded as Sinclair stations.

Richfield Oil Corp emerged from receivership in 1936 after Rio Grande controlled by Consolidated Oil Corp and Cities Service Company agreed to a merger between Richfield Oil and Rio Grande.

The company merged with Atlantic Refining to form Atlantic Richfield Corp, also known as ARCO in 1966. ARCO in turn was purchased by BP p.l.c. in 2000. ^

Historical Notes

Union Oil (for many years based in El Segundo, California) introduced "76" gasoline in 1932. The name referred to the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence, and was also the octane rating of the gasoline in 1932. ^

Historical Notes

Between the mid-1910s to the early 1940s, Los Angeles was the principal center for the development of drive-in markets, many of which had gas stations.

Historical Notes

In March of 1912, the Diamond Rubber Company was bought out by and merged with the B.F. Goodrich Company. The Diamond brand name and product line were retained and a subsidiary Diamond Rubber Company created for the marketing and manufacturing of them.

Click HERE to see more Early Gas Stations.

Historical Notes

Apparently the "Specification Motoroil System" was a national chain that did not last too long (no records).

Historical Notes

Violet Ray Gasoline was a unique type of gas introduced in 1928 by the General Petroleum Corporation. What made this fuel special was its violet color. General Petroleum wanted to market a superior anti-knock product which would fulfill all the requirements of high-compression type engines, as well as function perfectly in all other types of motors. It was developed in a violet color that would change if it was exposed to any inferior motor fuel.

Historical Notes

Union Oil (for many years based in El Segundo, California) introduced "76" gasoline in 1932. The name referred to the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence, and was also the octane rating of the gasoline in 1932. ^

Historical Notes

This Goodyear tire store opened at West 2nd St and South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, in 1931. In order to catch the eye of passing motorists, most Goodyear tire operations featured a miniature blimp over the gas pump island. Being independently operated, they were able to offer four different brands of gas: Shell “40,” Gilmore “Blu-Green,” Union, and “Motor Tire”—and THAT is something we don’t see anymore.^

Historical Notes

Upon its completion in 1927, the facility was touted by CALPET as “California’s finest super service,” and not without good reason. The central filling station occupied an eye-catching Moorish Revival building, elegantly ornamented with mosaic tile trimmings and decorative grilles. A separate structure at the rear of the lot housed an automatic washing and polishing unit, tire and battery service areas, an accessory shop, and a small cafe. As a final touch, the station’s paved areas were buffered from the sidewalk by lamp posts and small landscape planters.*

Historical Notes

The new service station was given such importance by California Petroleum (Calpet) that it received a two-day opening ceremony as well as a full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times. In true Hollywood fashion, Calpet orchestrated the opening-day appearance of a number of film stars, including Norma and Constance Talmadge, Owen Moore, Ralph Graves, Lawrence Gray, Belle Bennett, Buster Keaton, and Katherine Perry. Each of them of course, arrived by car. By the time its second day closed out with a colorful light show, the service station had sold nearly 20,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Historical Notes

CALPET was acquired by the Texas Company in 1928 and the service station seen above continued to operate under the Texaco brand until its demolition in the mid-1950s.

Historical Notes

As Wilshire Boulevard cemented its status as Los Angeles’ premier highway during the 1920s, it also emerged as the locus of high-end commercial development for the city’s affluent and growing west side. This dual identity was exemplified by the California Petroleum Corporation’s flagship Calpet service station (1927-1928) and then Texaco service station (1928-mid 50’s), shown in the photo above at the boulevard’s northeast corner with New Hampshire Avenue. Although the demolished depot has now been largely forgotten, it surely ranks among the most distinctive lost buildings of Wilshire Boulevard.

Historical Notes

The beautiful Moorish-style Texaco service station stood until the mid-1950s. In 1956, it was replaced by a Modernist office building and adjacent parking lot, built for the Pioneer Savings and Loan Association. The relatively unremarkable six-story building remained occupied by bank tenants through the late 1980s. Since then, it has served as the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles.*

Historical Notes

Although the gas station has been razed and the remaining buildings converted into a strip mall, the original two minarets are still there.

Historical Notes

This gas station, located at 1535 N. Western Avenue, was initially run by the partnership of John A. Jordan and Milton E. Jaeckel. They previously were operating two gas stations at 5873 Hollywood Boulevard and 1353 N. Western Avenue. They opened this facility either in 1931 or 1932. The West-Way Super Service Station went out of business by sometime in 1936. ^^*

Historical Notes

Three different types of gasoline where sold at the facility: Signal Ethyl Purr Pull, which was dyed purple, Signal Regular, and low-priced Signal Peerless that sold for ten gallons for a dollar. ^^*

Historical Notes

The two-story service station and office was demolished in 1966.  Today, J & J Body Shop exists where the service station once stood.  Click HERE to see contemporary view.

HANCOCK Oil Company was headquartered in Los Angeles. In the 1850’s, lawyer Henry Hancock helped the Rocha family establish their legal claim to Rancho La Brea, but they ended up owing him so much in fees that they gave him part of the rancho in payment. In 1860 Hancock and his brother bought the rest of the rancho. Hancock began to sell asphalt produced from the famous tar pits that gave the rancho its name. This was the beginning of the Hancock Oil Company. In 1885 Hancock’s widow leased part of the rancho to eastern oil men who went bust by 1888. But in 1902, Mrs. Hancock leased part of the rancho to the Salt Lake Oil Company, which proved a great success. Henry Hancock’s son, George A. Hancock, who had learned the oil business working for Salt Lake, established his own company in 1906. By February 1907, he had over 70 wells producing nearly 300 barrels a day, making the Hancocks one of California’s wealthiest families. The Hancock family built Hancock Park, a large upscale apartment community. The Hancock Oil Company was sold to Signal Oil in 1958. The 1965 Signal was sold to Humble, and both the Hancock and Signal brands vanished.*

Historical Notes

The Pyroil brand is a trademarked name for a line of automotive chemicals offered today by the Ashland Oil Company. But in 1932, it was also a brand of gasoline that was being heavily promoted.

The roadster looks like a 29 Chrysler Series 75.

1070 E. Walnut in Pasadena is still there and today is an automobile repair shop. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The former Beverly Hills Water Treatment Plant, now the Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study, played a crucial role in preserving Beverly Hills’ independence at a time when Los Angeles pressured the city to consolidate for access to water. Completed in 1928 and designed by civil engineer Arthur Taylor, the Romanesque-style structure resembled a church, with a Moorish-inspired tower housing the water purification system. Its industrial purpose was subtly revealed through features like machinery visible behind a large rose window, while the landscaped grounds gave it the look of a public park. Today, after a successful preservation effort and adaptive reuse, the building serves as a research library and film archive for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Historical Notes

Howe’s newspaper ad reads:  HOWE’S “AT THE SIGN OF THE INDIAN”  (Leon D. Howe)  Complete  Motor Service, 7456 Melrose Ave, at Vista St., Tel Oregon 1145. **^

Historical Notes

Merritt Adamson established a dairy business in the San Fernando Valley, in Tarzana, known as Adohr Farms, the name representing his wife's name spelled backwards. The business became one of the country's largest dairies, operating one of the largest herds of Guernsey cows in the world.*^^

Historical Notes

Signal Gasoline Company was 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.*^^

Historical Notes

The Gilmore family is a longtime Los Angeles institution, having acquired the Rancho La Brea in the mid 19th century. In the early 20th century, oil discoveries on Gilmore land brought about a new fortune in petroleum. The Gilmore family went on to establish Farmers Market, which was built alongside the original Gilmore Adobe. They also established the Gilmore Bank, built Gilmore Field for the Hollywood Stars, a minor league baseball team, and also sponsored midget race cars on a small race track. Both the field and the racetrack were later replaced by CBS Television City.

At one time there were more than 1,100 Gilmore Gas Statons throughout the West that sold only Gilmore products and another 2,400 that sold them along with other brands.

The clear glass globes at the top of gas pumps allowed the color of the gasoline to be seen. E.B. Gilmore jumped on this unique opportunity to become the first oil company to market its gas by its color. Blu-Green and Red Lion Gas fueled the cars and imaginations of West Coasters from the ’20s to the early ’40s.

Historical Notes

The towers in Westwood served to orient pedestrians within the Village, and were intended to catch the eye of motorists as they sped along in the “fast moving traffic” along Wilshire Boulevard.^

Historical Notes

This Union 76 Service Station had its grand opening in December 1933 as part of a massive industry opening of 750 stations citywide.  The station lasted only until 1936 when it was demolished to make room for Sontag Fountain and Grill, which opened in 1938.

Historical Notes

The Gilmore family is a longtime Los Angeles institution, having acquired the Rancho La Brea in the mid 19th century. In the early 20th century, oil discoveries on Gilmore land brought about a new fortune in petroleum. The Gilmore family went on to establish Farmers Market, which was built alongside the original Gilmore Adobe. They also established the Gilmore Bank, built Gilmore Field for the Hollywood Stars, a minor league baseball team, and also sponsored midget race cars on a small race track. Both the field and the racetrack were later replaced by CBS Television City.

Historical Notes

Built in 1935, this Art Deco gas station was designed by R.J. Kadow, and was one of the original service stations for the Gilmore Oil Company. The station remained with the company until its merger with Mobile Oil in the 1940's. It was later leased by Texaco. ^*^

On March 23, 1992, the above service station became Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 508.

Historical Notes

This prime example of L.A.’s car culture once again serves as a fuel station. Starbucks restored the once gas station into a walk up and drive through coffee shop. The architecture team removed incompatible alterations, such as metal roll-up garage doors, and replaced them with contemporary adaptations of historic garage doors. The team meticulously restored the station’s decorative lighting and recreated the historic cantilevered canopies.

The L.A. Conservancy gave this converted gas station a 2018 Preservation Award.^

Historical Notes

The average price of gasoline in Los Angeles in 1935 was $0.16 per gallon.

Historical Notes

The K52 was a 6 cylinder, 100 horsepower Dodge truck, with 1275 gallon fuel capacity.

The first Dodge K52 Airflow was produced in December 1934, ushering in a brief "Streamline" era in its production. Between 1934 and 1939, Airflows were built, of which were made for the Standard Oil Company, based in New Jersey and California.^

Note the uniform worn by the worker.  Looks like police or military. Civilian professional uniforms was common practice at the time. The fuel industry, postal services, milk delivery and even servers in restaurants wore uniforms. Some more military in design than others. But, it was the standard. You could tell what one did for work by their uniform or hat. Not so much today. On reason why it was common then was, a clean and tidy uniform gave a professional and trustworthy impression.

Historical Notes

HANCOCK Oil Company was headquartered in Los Angeles. In the 1850’s, lawyer Henry Hancock helped the Rocha family establish their legal claim to Rancho La Brea, but they ended up owing him so much in fees that they gave him part of the rancho in payment. In 1860 Hancock and his brother bought the rest of the rancho. Hancock began to sell asphalt produced from the famous tar pits that gave the rancho its name. This was the beginning of the Hancock Oil Company. In 1885 Hancock’s widow leased part of the rancho to eastern oil men who went bust by 1888. But in 1902, Mrs. Hancock leased part of the rancho to the Salt Lake Oil Company, which proved a great success. Henry Hancock’s son, George A. Hancock, who had learned the oil business working for Salt Lake, established his own company in 1906. By February 1907, he had over 70 wells producing nearly 300 barrels a day, making the Hancock's one of California’s wealthiest families. The Hancock family built Hancock Park, a large upscale apartment community. The Hancock Oil Company was sold to Signal Oil in 1958. In 1965 Signal was sold to Humble, and both the Hancock and Signal brands vanished.

Historical Notes

Mr & Mrs Carter lived on Chase St in Canoga Park, as seen in city directories in 1937 & 1939, as well as the US Census in 1940.

Today, a Chevron station is located on the NW corner of Roscoe and Canoga. Click HERE to see Contemporary View.

Historical Notes

HANCOCK Oil Company was headquartered in Los Angeles. In the 1850’s, lawyer Henry Hancock helped the Rocha family establish their legal claim to Rancho La Brea, but they ended up owing him so much in fees that they gave him part of the rancho in payment. In 1860 Hancock and his brother bought the rest of the rancho. Hancock began to sell asphalt produced from the famous tar pits that gave the rancho its name. This was the beginning of the Hancock Oil Company. In 1885 Hancock’s widow leased part of the rancho to eastern oil men who went bust by 1888. But in 1902, Mrs. Hancock leased part of the rancho to the Salt Lake Oil Company, which proved a great success. Henry Hancock’s son, George A. Hancock, who had learned the oil business working for Salt Lake, established his own company in 1906. By February 1907, he had over 70 wells producing nearly 300 barrels a day, making the Hancock's one of California’s wealthiest families. The Hancock family built Hancock Park, a large upscale apartment community. The Hancock Oil Company was sold to Signal Oil in 1958. In 1965 Signal was sold to Humble, and both the Hancock and Signal brands vanished.*

Historical Notes

By 1936, Rio Grande had reorganized and merged with other companies to become Richfield Oil Corporation.^

Historical Notes

Rio Grande Oil Company began in the petroleum business in 1915.  At the time, its main business was supplying U.S. military forces with gasoline in support of operations against Pancho Villa.

By 1936, Rio Grande had reorganized and merged with other companies to become Richfield Oil Corporation.^

Historical Notes

The Zenith Model 12 didn’t work out too well. It was an attempt to travel on the success of Henry Ford’s trimotor. It was underpowered and not a roaring success. It became a one of a kind airplane. However, it wasn’t totally useless. Someone saw it as a gasoline station. It was set up as part of a Texaco station in the gore point created by the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Ventura Place in Studio City opposite Republic Studios.^

Historical Notes

History is vague but the Royal Albatross disappeared around the onset of WWII.

Historical Notes

This is Bob's airmail service gas station, which stood at 5453 Wilshire Blvd, at the corner of Cochran Ave. The plane is a 32-passenger Fokker F-32, which was a white elephant of an aircraft that never really worked right. They were probably going cheap so that when in 1934, Bob Spenser got the idea to build a Mobil gas station around one, Fokker probably said, “Here! Take it!” It sure must have been eye catching because in 1934, Bob's Air Mail Service Station sold more Mobiloil and Mobilgas products than any other dealer on the West Coast.

Historical Notes

Bob’s Air Mail Service utilized the twin-prop airplane to top its station, with the wings serving as canopies to shade its General Petroleum pumps. The plane was one of two Fokker F-32 aircraft operated by Western Air Express, circa 1930-31. The four engine F-32 was a design failure due to overheating of the two pusher engines and was only briefly in commercial service.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more of the Fokker F-32 in Aviation in Early Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

In 1941, gasoline prices in Los Angeles were typically around 15 to 20 cents per gallon, which was in line with the national average at the time. This period was characterized by stable prices, as gasoline was both locally produced and widely available before the onset of World War II rationing. While modern nostalgia often references prices like 29 or 39 cents per gallon, these figures are from later decades and not representative of the early 1940s. When adjusted for inflation, those seemingly low prices would equate to several dollars per gallon today, highlighting how the real cost of gasoline has changed over time.

Historical Notes

Members of the Facebook group ‘You Know You Are from Old School Pasadena…’ disagree with the original location stated in the Huntington Library source. The majority opinion is that the station was actually located at Lake Ave and Green Street. Despite some conflicting evidence, we lean towards Green Street as the correct location instead of California Street. More details to come.

Historical Notes

*The above photo was donated by Mrs. Joy (Jensen) Feist who wrote: 

I’m a lover of history and a preservationist at heart. I was born in the Good Samaritan Hospital and raised in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. I have several photographs of the Melrose Motor Service Station once located at 7919 Melrose Ave at Fairfax Ave.

My father worked there until the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7th 1941 when everything changed! After the war our family moved from Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley. My parents loved photography and documented our family life with their trusty Kodak box camera purchased in 1937 at the Vista House on the Columbia River.

I hope the attached photo will find preservation in your archives and be of interest to others who also love and value history.

Incidentally, both my parents lived long and healthy lives. My father passed at age 94 and my mother at age 99. Both of them were active and mentally sound right up to their passing. They were married for almost 73 years!

Historical Notes

Note the streetlight on the corner with what appears to be a cap or hood on top of the light bulb. During World War II many streetlights throughout the City were blacked-out on top as a preventative measure. Click HERE to see more in Early LA Streetlights.

Historical Notes

This business was initially a gas station and auto repair facility called Melrose-Sweetzer Service but became a car dealer named Challenger Motors soon after the above photo was taken. Today an office building stands at this corner. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Snow fell in the San Fernando Valley and in most of Southern California during a 3-day storm from Jan 9 through Jan 12, 1949, which is a rare occurance. Click HERE to see more on the Storm of 1949.

Historical Notes

Associated Oil Company was an American oil and gas company once headquartered in San Francisco and served much of the Pacific West Coast, including Hawaii, as well as the Orient and merged with the Tidewater Oil Company in 1938.*^^

Historical Notes

The station was built on a portion of the original Sun Lumber Company that once dominated the area. Today, the site is the south wing of the Beverly Hills Public Library. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

In 1936, the separate companies, Associated Oil Company and Tide Water, were dissolved into the holding company, now renamed Tidewater Associated Oil Company. Associated was based in San Francisco with a market area limited to the Western United States. Associated, founded in 1901, had created the prominent Flying A brand for its premium-grade gasoline in 1932.

With the merger and creation of Tidewater Associated Oil Company, Flying A became the primary brand name for the company, though the Tydol and Associated names were also retained in their respective marketing areas. During the 1950s, the Associated and Tydol brands gradually fell into disuse, and were dropped entirely in 1956.*^^

Historical Notes

Mark C. Bloome immigrated to Southern California from Canada in 1924 and parlayed a 15-cent-a-gallon Richfield gasoline station into one of the nation's largest chain of tire stores.  He survived the Depression years by offering glassware giveaways and other free premiums at his expanding chain of stations and at one point even had women on roller skates speeding among the pumps dispensing gasoline.

By the 1950s, Bloome's stations numbered an even dozen and they were selling a broad range of tires from nearly all manufacturers. Customers were waiting in air-conditioned rooms while their cars were being serviced in giant bays a few feet away, a system that was a forerunner of the modern tire store.

In 1972, the family sold the business to Petrolane Inc. and Bloome retired. In 1986, Goodyear purchased it. *^*

Historical Notes

Gas Stations used to be called service stations ... they would rush to your car, check the water and oil, put air in your tires, wash your windows, and pump your gas.

Historical Notes

If you look at the street lighting in this picture, you’ll see that the lamps are all the “Wilshire Specials” which became prevalent along Wilshire Blvd starting in 1928.

GILMORE SELF-SERVICE GAS STATION (Beverly and Genesee)

A Station Ahead of Its Time

The Gilmore Gas-a-teria on Beverly Boulevard near Genesee Avenue was one of the largest self-service stations in the country when it opened in 1948, with 24 pumps spread across eight islands. The property sat on unincorporated county land, which meant self-service pumping was legal there even when the City of Los Angeles prohibited it elsewhere.

Life magazine photographer Allan Grant documented the station in October and November 1948, producing images that appeared both as a cover and in feature spreads. Together with an earlier 1943 cover shot, they form a remarkable record of a moment when fueling your own car was still a novelty — and a 5-cent-per-gallon discount was what it took to persuade drivers to try it.

A New Idea in Automobile Culture

Historical Notes

This 1943 Life magazine cover captures the Gilmore Gas-a-teria on Beverly Boulevard east of Fairfax, looking toward the Pan Pacific Theater in the distance. Earl B. Gilmore, president of Gilmore Oil Company, had established the Gas-a-teria concept on his family's unincorporated property — land that sat outside city limits, where self-service pumping was otherwise prohibited by the City of Los Angeles. Drivers who pumped their own gas saved 5 cents a gallon, a meaningful discount for wartime Angelenos watching every penny.

For customers who preferred full service, attendants on roller skates glided between the pump islands to dispense fuel and make change. The Beverly Boulevard station was among the first and largest self-service stations in the country, and Life magazine thought the concept worth putting on its cover twice within five years.

Lighting the Night on Beverly Boulevard

Historical Notes

This night view, photographed by Allan Grant for Life magazine in 1948, shows the Gilmore Gas-a-teria at Beverly and Genesee looking west toward Fairfax Avenue. Eight pump islands, each with three pumps, gave the station 24 fueling positions — enough to rank it among the largest self-service stations in the country at the time. The Fairfax Theatre sign is visible in the upper background, and the tower of Herbert's Drive-In can be made out at upper left.

The station opened that year on unincorporated county land, a fact that kept it just outside the reach of city regulations banning self-service. Four years later, in 1952, CBS Television City was built on the 25-acre site at Fairfax and Beverly where Gilmore Stadium had stood, replacing the ballparks and open land that had defined this stretch of Beverly Boulevard — and the view seen here — entirely.

Learning to Serve Yourself

Historical Notes

This image from around 1948 shows a station attendant walking a customer through the self-service process at the Gilmore Gas-a-teria. The instruction was straightforward: insert the nozzle, pump your own gas, save 5 cents a gallon. The Brea-Fax Grocery Store, visible across Beverly Boulevard, marks the commercial character of this stretch of Beverly just east of Fairfax.

In postwar Los Angeles, where car ownership was rising rapidly, the Gas-a-teria addressed a practical reality: more cars meant longer waits at full-service stations. Gilmore's answer was to put the pump in the driver's hands and pass the savings along.

Everyday Life at Gilmore Island

Historical Notes

This photograph, taken around 1948, shows a woman refueling at the Gilmore Gas-a-teria while her two Dalmatians keep watch from the car. Visible in the background is Gilmore Field, opened on May 2, 1939, as home to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League. The field was part of what the Gilmore family called Gilmore Island — their unincorporated property that also included Gilmore Stadium, a drive-in theater, and the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax.

A Little Humor at the Pump

Historical Notes

Allan Grant photographed this moment for Life magazine in 1948, capturing a man and woman peering into the open engine compartment of their car at the Gilmore Gas-a-teria. The image reflects what the station offered beyond cheaper gas: a hands-on relationship with one's own vehicle that full-service stations never encouraged. Socony-Vacuum, a forerunner of Mobil Oil, had acquired a controlling interest in Gilmore Oil by 1940, and the formal merger was completed in 1945, though the Gilmore name remained on stations well into the 1960s.

The Beverly and Genesee location closed by around that time. The self-service model it helped establish, once novel enough to require a 5-cent incentive, had by then become standard practice at gas stations across the country.

From Experiment to Everyday Life

What began at the corner of Beverly and Genesee as a simple idea soon spread far beyond Los Angeles. The ability to pump your own gasoline, once considered unusual, gradually became accepted and then expected. Over time, self-service stations replaced full-service as the standard across the United States, changing not only how fuel was sold but how people interacted with their cars. What Earl Gilmore introduced as a way to save five cents per gallon helped redefine convenience in a growing automobile society.

Today, the setting itself has changed dramatically. The open lots, theaters, and ballparks that once surrounded the Gilmore station have given way to dense development and new forms of entertainment and media. Yet the influence of that early experiment remains part of daily life. Every time a driver steps out to fuel their own vehicle, they are participating in a shift that began here nearly eighty years ago, when a simple idea took hold and quietly transformed the American landscape.

Mobil Gas Station (Fairfax and Olympic)

Historical Notes

Following the break-up of Standard Oil in 1911, the Standard Oil Company of New York, or Socony, was founded, along with 33 other successor companies. In 1920, the company registered the name "Mobiloil" as a trademark.

In 1955, Socony-Vacuum was renamed Socony Mobil Oil Company. In 1963, it changed its trade name from "Mobiloil" to simply "Mobil", introducing a new logo. To celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1966, "Socony" was dropped from the corporate name.

Richfield Gas Station (Arcadia)

Signal Gas Station

(Wilshire and McCadden)

Historical Notes

Signal Gasoline Company was 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.

Wilco Gas and Sieberling Tire Store

1979 OIL CRISIS

These photographs capture the 1979 Oil Crisis as it unfolded on the streets of Los Angeles. They show the long lines, empty pumps, and handwritten signs that became familiar sights across the Southland during one of the most disruptive energy emergencies in American history. Together, they offer a street-level view of a city and a nation dealing with sudden scarcity.

The crisis had its roots in the Iranian Revolution of 1978 and 1979, which disrupted global oil production at a time when the United States was still heavily dependent on imported petroleum. What followed played out in the daily lives of ordinary Angelenos: missed commutes, hours spent waiting in line, and a new understanding of how fragile the supply chain connecting distant oil fields to the corner gas station could be.

The Shock to the System

The 1979 Oil Crisis was the second major energy disruption of the decade, following the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. Its origins were in the Iranian Revolution, which swept the country beginning in late 1978 and ended with the fall of the Shah in January 1979. As the political order collapsed, some 37,000 Iranian oil refinery workers went on strike, cutting the country's output from roughly 6 million barrels per day to about 1.5 million. The resulting 7 percent drop in global supply sent oil prices sharply upward.

Within twelve months, crude oil had doubled in price to $39.50 per barrel. For American consumers, the impact arrived quickly and visibly: service stations ran short of fuel, lines stretched around the block, and panic buying made the shortfall worse. Los Angeles, a city built entirely around the automobile, felt the disruption with particular force.

Historical Notes

The intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue was a busy commercial area in 1979, and the ARCO station there became a pressure point as drivers from across the surrounding neighborhoods converged looking for fuel. The tanker truck visible in the photograph illustrates a recurring tension of the crisis: deliveries were irregular, and the arrival of a tanker could draw dozens of additional cars within minutes, deepening the lines rather than clearing them. ARCO had moved away from full-service operations in the 1970s as a cost-cutting measure, making self-service pumping common well before the crisis struck. The station is no longer present at this location.

Waiting in Line

Across Los Angeles, the daily task of fueling a car became an exercise in patience and anxiety. Lines stretched for blocks, drivers idled for an hour or more, and stations sometimes ran dry before the last car in line reached the pump. For a city with no meaningful public transit alternative, the inability to buy gasoline was not merely an inconvenience. It threatened commutes, deliveries, and the routines of daily life.

Handwritten signs became the informal communication system of the crisis. Station attendants posted notices at the end of lines to spare late arrivals a long wait only to be turned away. Some stations posted their remaining inventory on sandwich boards. Others simply locked the pumps and turned off their price signs.

The improvised sign system shown here was one of the more considerate responses to the crisis at the street level. Rather than letting drivers wait in line only to reach an empty pump, attendants would walk to the back of the queue and post a notice so late arrivals could turn around and look elsewhere. It was a small act of courtesy in a situation that frequently produced the opposite, as drivers argued over spots in line, siphoned gas from parked cars overnight, and filled containers well beyond what they needed.

The Standard Oil station at Olympic Boulevard and Hope Street stood at the western edge of downtown Los Angeles, in a district that then mixed light industry, offices, and residential buildings. The station has since been replaced by the Renaissance Tower Apartments, a residential high-rise that now occupies the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Hope Street.

Rationing and Adaptation

As lines lengthened and supplies remained unpredictable, state and local governments moved to manage demand through formal rationing. California was among several states, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Texas, that adopted odd-even rationing systems. Under the rules, drivers with license plates ending in an odd number could only purchase fuel on odd-numbered calendar days. Even-numbered plates were restricted to even days. The system was the same one California had used during the 1973 Oil Crisis.

The federal government printed gasoline ration coupons in case a national rationing program became necessary, though the coupons were never actually issued. Drivers adapted in other ways as well. Some carried empty gas cans to fill whenever fuel was available. Others topped off their tanks far more frequently than before, or shifted their schedules to reach stations early in the morning before supplies ran low.

The 76 Station at Vermont Avenue and Olympic Boulevard served a densely populated neighborhood in South Los Angeles. The photograph was taken ahead of a holiday weekend, capturing the particular anxiety of the crisis: the fear that a station would run dry before a driver could reach the front of the line. Holiday weekends produced some of the longest lines of the entire crisis period, as drivers tried to fill up before traveling. The Ford Mustang in the foreground and the Audi 100 LS visible ahead represent the range of vehicles Americans were driving in 1979, many of them far less fuel efficient than the smaller cars Detroit would begin producing in response to the crisis.

Carrying a portable gasoline canister became a practical workaround for some Angelenos during the crisis. Rather than waiting in line at a dry station, a driver might walk or bicycle to a station that still had fuel, fill a container, and carry it back to the car. It was a small but telling sign of how people adjusted their behavior when a system they had always taken for granted stopped working reliably.

When the Pumps Ran Dry

Some stations did not merely run low. They shut down entirely. When a station exhausted its supply and could not get a delivery date, the owner would pull the pump handles, lock the canopy doors, and post a sign. The empty station became one of the defining images of the crisis: a place built for constant motion and commerce, suddenly still and silent.

For neighborhoods without many stations, a single closure could force drivers miles out of their way. For children who grew up in those years, the sight of a shuttered station with a bicycle rolling through its empty lot captured something about the confusion of the period. A piece of ordinary, everyday infrastructure had simply stopped working.

The Mobil station at Overland Avenue and National Boulevard was located in Palms, a residential neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles. The photograph was taken in late March 1979, during one of the earliest and most severe phases of the crisis, before the Carter administration's deregulation measures had time to increase domestic supply. The boy on the bicycle gives the image its quiet power: the station, ordinarily a place of adult transactions and engine noise, has been taken over for a moment by someone with no need for gasoline at all. The Mobil brand, then one of the most widely recognized oil company names in the United States, merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil.

The crisis eased gradually through 1980 and 1981. The Carter administration's phased deregulation of oil prices, begun on April 5, 1979, encouraged increased domestic production, particularly from the Prudhoe Bay fields in Alaska, while oil imports fell sharply. A global recession reduced demand, and Saudi Arabia increased output to help stabilize markets. By the mid-1980s, oil prices had returned to levels near those of the early 1970s, and the long lines had become a memory.

The lasting effects were significant. Congress tightened federal fuel economy standards for automobiles, and American carmakers accelerated development of smaller, more efficient models. Investment in domestic energy production increased, and the crisis deepened a national debate about dependence on foreign oil that continued for decades. Odd-even rationing programs were quietly discontinued, and the federal gasoline ration coupons that had been printed but never used were eventually destroyed.

For Los Angeles, the events of 1979 left a lasting impression. A metropolitan region built around the automobile and the freeway had been forced to confront the limits of that model. The images in this collection preserve that moment of reckoning, the lines, the signs, the empty lots, as a reminder of how quickly the rhythms of daily life can be disrupted by forces originating far from home.

A Crisis Revisited  —  2026

The photographs in this collection were taken nearly fifty years ago, but the story they tell is unfolding again. In late February 2026, the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, and Iran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's daily oil supply passes. Within a week, crude oil surpassed $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022, and gasoline prices at American pumps jumped nearly fifty cents a gallon. The International Energy Agency called it the greatest energy security challenge in the agency's history, a supply disruption three times larger in raw volume than either of the 1970s oil shocks that produced the long lines visible in these photographs.

The parallels are hard to ignore. In 1979, it was the Iranian Revolution that disrupted production and sent prices spiraling. Today, it is a war involving Iran that has closed the route through which most of the region's oil moves. Both crises triggered immediate price spikes, panic buying, questions about rationing, and a sudden awareness of how fragile the connection between distant oil fields and the local gas station actually is. Parts of Asia have already instituted fuel rationing programs. Europe is facing its second major energy crisis in four years. And as in the 1970s, the pain at the pump is spreading into food prices, transportation costs, and the broader economy, because oil is not just fuel. It is embedded in fertilizer, plastics, packaging, and nearly everything that moves.

What remains uncertain is how long the disruption will last and how far the damage will spread. The United States is more energy independent today than it was fifty years ago, and strategic reserves exist now that did not then. But those reserves cannot compensate indefinitely for a chokepoint handling twenty million barrels a day. The people waiting in line at the ARCO station on Sunset and Fairfax in 1979 could not have imagined that the same country, Iran, would be at the center of another global energy crisis in their lifetimes. History does not repeat exactly, but it has a long memory.