Gas Station, Zillah, Washington.
Time for a second installment of whimsical and eye-catching roadside creations, the second such gallery I’ve featured here at CC. Once again, the images were taken by John Margoiles between the ’70s-’80s, part of his collection from the Library of Congress.
Deschwanden’s Shoe Repair, Bakersfield, California.
Surplus store, Seattle, Washington.
SS Hurricane Camille Gift Shop, Gulfport, Mississipi.
Stan the Tire Man, Mount Vernon, Illinois.
Fish Inn, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Milk Depot gas station, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Bondurant’s Drug Store, Lexington, Kentucky.
Joe’s International Rock Shop, Orderville, Utah.
THE MORTAR & PESTLE SHAPE BUILDING FOR THE DRUGSTORE IS CLEVER. THX AGAIN, RICH BARON.
Here’s another landmark, from Long Island. My late sister-in-law was a descendant of the man who built the Big Duck. Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Duck
Too darn cute!
I’ve been there!
Thanks for showing this. I’ve lived on Long Island for 68 years and I always enjoy seeing the duck decorated for the holidays
Ah, the days of creative self marketing and promotion.
The real America. Thanks for these.
From a retired marketing art director.
PS: I don’t miss it.
The “International Rock Shop”, is hilarious. The “Fish In”, looks dried out.
Stan the Man has a gender crisis. HEH-HEH.
Anyone remember the Midas Muffler man similar to Stan the Tire Man above?
Ah, Miss Uniroyal 🙂
Given that she’s still (at least in that photo) serving her original purpose, I’m surprised that she’s not holding a tire in at least one hand.
https://www.roadarch.com/giants/ifuni.html
Almost as good as Miss Uniroyal was Stan’s other sign. Stan sure knew how to promote:
The Bondurant’s pharmacy mortar-and-pestle building is still standing – now occupied by a liquor store. It was actually designed by the pharmacist (Mr. Bondurant) himself, and the design was pretty innovative. It was a drive-up pharmacy, long before that was common, with a drop-off window on one side, and a pick-up window on the other. The small (800 sq. ft.) round building footprint was designed to help the pharmacists find stock quickly. There is actually a second story as well, which served as an office.
Modern picture below, from Google StreetView:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kbcpaGhG55e9DkzGA
Needs a green olive on top of that toothpick
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/food/minnesota/fish-shaped-restaurant-mn
Years ago, there was a real estate office on Rt.35 in New Jersey probably near Red Bank. It was in the (stylized) shape of an 18 th century pirate ship and it was a local landmark. I remember seeing it when our family drove to Asbury Park in the late 50s and early 60s for summer vacations. It was one of the highlights of our drive until the area became overcrowded with malls, fast food restaurants, and ‘big box’ stores. Also that ‘fish’ store in Coue D` Alene looks more like a blimp than a fish! Some vanishing Americana to be sure, enjoy whats left of it.
I believe that all these building predate the 1970s. I expected 1970s roadside attractions. By the 1970s, even Arbys stopped shaping their stores to resemble a cowboy hat. McDonald began building mansard-roof restaurants in Earth tones, Unique buildings similar to the photos ended before the 1970s, with perhaps a few exceptions.
Gallon Measure Service station in Buchanan NY, whee my pal Dave worked when we were in high school. It was made to look like an old time oil can).
One day a woman came by and asked if he’d help get an old car out of her back yard. He ended up buying the metallic sand-colored XKE coupe for a thousand dollars–at the time a lot for a kid working at a gas station. I’m sure he’s sorry he didnt keep it,
I miss seeing these and many other roadside buildings when I were young .
-Nate
Ah, before the interstate.
I remember, dimly, some long trips in the late 50s with my folks, but more things like vertical soda machines and meeting the last living son of Geronimo than the buildings. Oh yeah, waiting for road construction and the loud boom that went off, indicating the dynamite went off for blasting so we could continue. Really, as a ~5 year old that was fun!
Then in the early 70s, on my own, I did a few cross country trips. On my journeys the interstate was mostly in place, but not all and even where it was it hadn’t completely superseded the US highway system and it’s era. Yeah, much of it as pretty hokey, but less so in memory than at the time. Oh the pictures I could have taken at the time, but I don’t think I even owned a camera, and if I did it was reserved for very special occasions, film, devolving and printing was an expensive process for a kid in college trying to make it on his own.
Still, I’ve considered staying at a Wigwam motel in recent years, just cause. I’ve seen them, as of a couple of years ago at least they still existed. Two of them IIRC.
Dont know if you covered these three: the “Flagship” (US Rte22 Springfield/Union, NJ); the Giant Bug (i-95 Providence, Ri); Giant tire (former NY Worlds Fair ride, i-94 Detroit, MI area). All of these are still present, some more original than others tho.
Gallon Measure in Buchanan still there but now a muffler shop. Owned by one of the brothers who ownes the repair shop Little Bear a few doors down from there .been in business since the 60’s owned by the father then