You have reached your limit of 5 free stories. A story preview is shown instead.
To view more stories
(If your subscription is current,
click here to Login or Register.)
Old-Time Country Gas Station
"I needed a place to store my collectibles and memorabilia, so I put up a building that resembles an old-time gas station from the 1930's and æ40's," says Dick Kast, Fairmont, Minn. "It measures 45 by 45 ft. Local people often stop by to hang out. They enjoy the building's old-time ambience."
There's a 16-ft. le
..........
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the page.
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the flip-book
Old-Time Country Gas Station AG WORLD 34-2-21 "I needed a place to store my collectibles and memorabilia, so I put up a building that resembles an old-time gas station from the 1930's and æ40's," says Dick Kast, Fairmont, Minn. "It measures 45 by 45 ft. Local people often stop by to hang out. They enjoy the building's old-time ambience."
There's a 16-ft. lean-to on back of the building and a porch on front with a rocking chair. A couple old-time gas pumps stand nearby.
Kast says he tried to make the building look as authentic as possible with signs from old service stations. One sign lists gas selling for 36 cents per gallon.
The building is full of collectibles, including an old-time wood stove, a wooden bench, and chairs cut out of a pair of 55-gal. beer barrels. He made the chairs by cutting each barrel in half and then making a wooden frame for the seat and back, which he then had upholstered by a local company. A desk, a fan on a homemade pedestal, a gas pump, and a safe made in 1864 that came out of a jewelry store where his wife works also reside in the building.
There's an old porcelain grocery store milk cooler made in 1921 by General Electric, an upright radio with a typewriter placed on top of it, a kitchen counter, and shop tools that Kast's dad and grandpa and father-in-law owned.
"A lot of the stuff that's inside belonged to my folks and grandparents when they farmed. For example, there's a welder that my Dad bought the day I was born 69 years ago. There's also an old-time air compressor and tire machine, and even speakers from a local drive-in.
"Also, a lot of the stuff I got from people who gave it to me because they didn't want to throw it away. We have a day every year in our town where people can put stuff on the curb in front of their house and give it away for free. It's unbelievable how much stuff people throw away that's history.
"At one time there were a lot of these old country gas stations in our area, but unfortunately none still exist," says Kast.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dick Kast, 2109 95th St., Fairmont, Minn. 56031 (507 235-6050; dixstir@bevcomm.net).
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click
here to register with your account number.
