Gulf Service Station 1958-Aft 1966

Moniteau County, Missouri

Gulf Service Station

Southwest corner of Hwy 50 (now Bus. 50) & 87

1958-Aft 1966

From the January 9, 1958 Moniteau County Herald:

Gulf Oil Corporation To Erect New Station Here

Erection of "California's finest" new filling station will start within 60 days according to Robert Livingston, Gulf Oil Distributor of Jefferson City.

The new station, which will be of a two bay type with porcelain faced buildings, will be located at the southwest corner of the intersection of highways 50 and 87. The new station will be on a lot that runs 105 feet on highway 87 and 210 feet on highway 50. It was purchased from Henry Kuhlmann for an undisclosed price. Mr. Kuhlmann has 60 days to vacate the property and has yet not found a new home. the 6-room house on the land will be razed.

Mr. Livingston, who owns "quite a few" filling stations in central Missouri, also owns and leases the Ott Wells Sinclair Service Station. He said the total investment in the new station and land will run in excess of $60,000. Mr. Livingston said he will not own the new station but it will be on a lease basis with the oil company. the contract for the building has been let and Mr. Livingston will be the contractor. An operator for the station has not been named yet.

This will be the first outlet for the Gulf Oil Corporation in California although it has stations in most other towns in this area.

This will make the fifth new station to be built in California in the past three years. New stations completed at this time have been Ira's Sinclair Service, York Skelly Service, Ray Eckerts Standard Service and Ott Wells Sinclair Service. Several other stations have had major rebuilding and redecorating since the end of World War II.

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Part of an article from the June 4, 1959 California Democrat:

Open Two New Business Places

Both Are Located On Highway 50

Two new businesses have been opened in California during the past week. They are a Gulf filling station located at the intersection of highways 50 and 87 and Charlie Brown's Cafe on highway 50 west in a building formerly housing the White Eagle Cafe.

The new station is operated by Mr. and Mrs. Leo Nicholson of Potosi and will be known as Leo's Gulf Station. The modern station was erected last fall on a 105 by 210 foot lot by Robt. Livingston of Jefferson City and is leased from him. Mr. Nicholson purchased the stock of merchandise and will also offer minor mechanical repairs as well as complete filling station facilities. The station has seven gasoline pumps and two bay stations for washing and lubrication. A grand opening is planned in the near future.

Before coming here Mr. Nicholson had been at Tipton for six months. Prior to that, after having been a mechanic at a General Motors Corporation truck and coach plant in St Louis for 18 years, he had operated a Gulf Station at Potosi for five years.

Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson were born and reared at Potosi. they have one son Teddy, 5, and are members of the Catholic Church. He is a member of the Lions Club. They have a trailer home parked on the grounds of the station property.

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From the March 24, 1960 Moniteau County Herald:

Hall to Open Gulf Station

Bert Hall has announced in this issue that he will sever his connections with the Sinclair Service Station on Highway 50 West at 6 p.m. Thursday evening. He had been operating the station since February 1959. He plans to open for business Saturday morning in the Gulf Oil Station at the junction of Highways 50 and 87.

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from the May 11, 1961 California Democrat:

Fischers Open Gulf Station

Grnad Opening Friday, Saturday

Wilbert Fischer and his son Dennis have advertised in this issue the grand opening of Fischers Gulf Oil Station Friday and Saturday at the intersection of Highways 50 and 87. the have some attractive free prizes advertised.

Mr. Fischer had been in the service station business for six years at Algonquin, Ill., prior to coming here.

Mr. Fischer's wife, Corrinne, is a native of Dundee, Ill. He was born at Stover. He still has a host of relatives in Stover and Sedalia.

Mr. and Mrs. Fischer have two sons, Ronald Fischer who lives in Hollywood, Calif. He is in the show business. Dennis is associated with his father in the service station business here. He served a tour of duty in the army, being discharged last July. They also have a daughter, Joy, a pupil in the eighth grade at the R-1 school here, and two grandsons.

Mr. and Mrs. Fischer are members of the Missouri Lutheran church.

They arepresently living south of town in the McCollester house.

Mr. and Mrs. Fischer came to California to look for a farm to buy. They saw the Gulf Station and decided to operate it instead.

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From the May 9, 1963 Moniteau County Herald:

H. W. Schmidt Leases Gulf Oil Station, Crawford Manager

The General Oil Co. owned by H. W. Schmidt has leased from the Gulf Oil co. its practically new service station at the intersection of Highways 50 and 87. The deal had been pending since December. John Crawford will be the permanent manager of the new station. Norman Bolin will assist.

Mr. Schmidt said that plans are to move the Shell service station from its present location to the new building in about two weeks. A 2-day grand opening is also being planned for the last part of May after the station is completely situated in its new location.

The Shell Oil Distributing Co., operated by Mr. Schmidt took over the former Dickson Shell Station Jan. 7 Mr. Crawford began his duties with that station then as the temporary manager.

Mr. Crawford is well known for his pleasing manner in meeting his customers. He had been an employee for Standard Oil for 8 years before going to Shell. He first worked for Ray Eckert and then Don Melton when Eckert became engaged in another business here.

Mr. Crawford is a veteran of World War II, having served with the army engineers 34 months, 20 of which were in the European Theatre. He is a member of the First Baptist Church in California, the American Legion Post No. 17, and attended the Boonville High School. He came here from Boonville in 1950.

His wife, the former Alice W. Toler, is a native of Mt Pleasant area in Moniteau Co. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Toler. The have one daughter, Dixie Lynn 16, a junior in the R-1 High School.

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From the March 3, 1966 Moniteau County Herald:

Shell Jobbership Sold by Schmidt

Service Will Continue in Area

H. W. Schmidt has sold the Shell Oil Company jobbership, which he owned since coming to California, to the Mid-Missouri Oil Company of Eldon. The change became effective March 1.

Clark Houghton, president of the company which bought out Mr. Schmidt, said the operation will remain the same in California. Harry Bieri will continue as driver salesman and orders will still be taken by Norman Wood at the Highway 50 Shell service station.

Mr. Schmidt sold the agency so he could devote full time to his heating and plumbing business.

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