Snapshots of History
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By Mike Avitt
This week’s photo was loaned to me twenty years ago by Lucile (Buell) Jackson and shows her brother, Ernie, and father, Lynn Buell at the Buell Service Station in Ellston.
My research yielded very little info, but let’s see what I found.
Before I begin I want to point out the restoration work going on at Ellston’s original filling station. I don’t know who is doing the work, but the old station is being brought back to life. I believe that was the first filling station built in Ellston and the only one on the south side of Main Street.
It appears the original station was built in 1926 and it definitely resembles a 1920s filling station.
Mr. O. K. Knight was the first manager in January 1927. In 1929, while Charles Olson was the manager, the station got a second gas pump. On April first, 1930, the Ellston Community Oil Co. bought the Ellston Service Station from a Mr. Hull of Kellerton. In January 1934, Earl Troxell moved from Tingley to Ellston to drive the tank wagon truck for the Ellston Community Oil Co. In February of 1934, Charles West was hired as manager.
In December 1934, the Lynn Buell family moved from Beaconsfield to Ellston so Lynn could take over the “Knight Service Station.”
Ernie Buell served his country during World War II and joined his father in business at the filling station upon his discharge. But, at some point, a new service station was built on the lot now occupied by the Union Township Fire Department. I believe this week’s photo was taken at the new station. That new station burned in January 1963.
A new, steel building service station was erected on the same site. Lloyd Butcher operated the station in 1970s.
The last time I saw “Buell Service” in the newspaper was 1985. After the station closed, Todd Finch operated the station for a short time. A ribbon-cutting was held at the Ellston Service Station in May of 1990.
Today, the building is part of the Union Twp. Fire Department.
There was another station in Ellston, Creveling Oil Company. Brothers Kenneth and Marion Creveling bought the old Earl Adams Hardware Store and continued to operate it as such.
In February 1947, the Standard Oil Company installed two gas pumps in front of the hardware store. Later, the oil station became affiliated with D-X. The last time I saw Creveling Oil Co. in the newspaper was 1978.
Over in Beaconsfield I found Reasoner’s Garage was incorporated on April 1, 1976 with Frank Reasoner as proprietor. In February 1976 the Ringgold County Secondary Roads Department charged nineteen dollars worth of gasoline at Reasoner’s.
Paul Wion had a service station at Beaconsfield but I found very little info. The phrase “Wion Service” first appeared in the Record-News in 1947 and I believe the station closed in the mid-1960s. The station was located in the old lumber yard building.
In my research, I happened upon a very interesting article in the March 15, 2007 Mount Ayr Record-News.
Alan Smith, editor-owner of the Record-News, recounted an adventure in his “Thoughts and Other Things” column concerning the lack of gas stations in eastern Ringgold County. He had been to Sun Valley Lake taking photos for the “Home and Building” edition.
Despite his thorough preparation for the trip, he forgot to fill his gas tank. There he sat in Ellston with his needle on empty. He remembered to take his cell phone so he called Record-News office manager Sandy (Jackson) Main. Sandy made a call to see if gas could be purchased in Grand River……..No! So Sandy suggested Alan go the home of Lucile Jackson, Sandy’s mother, in Ellston. Lucile might have some lawnmower gasoline.
Sure enough, Lucile had enough lawnmower gas for Alan to make it back to Mount Ayr. This article reminded me of the time Alan got lost trying to find Beaconsfield. But, he did make it home without any trouble.
