Wagners Mobil Gas Station

From HistoryWiki

Wagners Mobil Gas Station

6400 N. Sheridan Road

Wagners was near Loyola University on Sheridan Road, was photographed in the era when gasoline was dispensed by an attendant, a practice that started with the automobile and continued until late in the 20th century. The attendant, often also a car mechanic, would pump (sometimes literally - with a pump handle) gasoline into your car's tank (sometimes located outside the car body), generally clean your windshield (unless stopped to reduce the size of the usual tip), check the oil and water (including anti-freeze potency in the winter), and give a quick wipe to the headlights. The better stations prided themselves on the attendant's uniforms and their cleanliness. A solitary pump was often found outside a general store or other place of business.

The pumps generally had an internally illuminated lozenge-shaped top that identified the type of gas pumped there - usually Regular or Ethyl (high-test) or Diesel. Often the gasoline was visible in a glass section below the sign, and a customer could see; 1. that it was actually being pumped, 2. and that it looked clean. Various products had different transparent colors, ranging from amber to clear.

Photos

RPWRHS photo C001-0207 shows Wagners Mobil Gas Station, 6400 N. Sheridan Road.