Fred Lynch retired in 2018 after capturing images for the Southeast Missourian since 1975, in that time moving from black-and-white to color, from film to digital and to video. The blog title is a nod to an earlier era of news photography and the 4x5 Speed Graphic: It's more important to be there for the shot than to worry about technical details.

"Come in and be Whisked"

Posted Friday, February 18, 2011, at 7:30 AM

Remember full service at your neighborly service station? G.D. Fronabarger made this picture to promote a local Phillips 66 service station.

Here is an advertisement in the May 27, 1958 Southeast Missourian:

Does the interior of your car sometimes look like a sand-trap combined with a rat's nest--with just a little touch of children's playground? Most cars get that way at one time or another...especially where there are kids and pets. If so, come in and be "whisked."

Whiskbrooming your car's interior so it is spick and span is just one of the little "extras" you can expect when you drive in to a Phillips 66 Station.

Another service your Phillips 66 Dealer will gladly perform is to clean your windows all the way around!

Get acquainted with Phillips 66 Hospitality.

Fulbright Oil Company, distributor

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The service station in the photo is Brennecke's 66 Service at 915 Broadway, according to the 1958 city directory. It was owned by Emil Brennecke.

The building behind is the Medical Arts Building, 937 Broadway.

Another Phillips 66 blog:

Perfect service to mystery motorist

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Was this at the corner of Pacific and Independence streets? It looks like L.J.S. in the background.

-- Posted by TW1227 on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 8:20 AM

Fred Lynch
See Editor's Note above.
By the 60s, Brune & Eaker's Phillips 66 had graduated to vacuum cleaners and had won $75 in a mystery shopper promotion for their excellent service.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/when-service-stations-delivered-servi...

Those were the good old days when service stations provided service.

Then, there was the Star station on Broadway that gave away decorated tumblers, stamps for free gas and sold smokes for 25 cents a pack.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/broadway/star-service-station/

The cheapest gas in town was almost always at Thoni's.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/thonis-gas-station/

-- Posted by ksteinhoff on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 8:48 AM
I have wondered if there wouldn't be enough patronage for a full service station to reopen. My mother-in-law would ask visting family to take her car in and get it filled up--she was unable to get out and stand while it was filling. There must be other people would appreciate not having to get out (or who may be unable to do it themselves) and have the old fashioned oil and wiper check, windshield wipe, and fluid top-off.

-- Posted by Catbert on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 9:24 AM
Catbert--it would be difficult today. The money is made on the convenince store operation today, not the fuel. The stations of yesteryear were operated from open 'til close by the owner and maybe one employee. How many gas station owners today would be manning the pumps from open 'til close? The first day your helper didn't show up, and nobody was there to fill granny's tank and wash her windshield, there'd be heck to pay!

-- Posted by slim_pickens on Fri, Feb 18, 2011, at 12:03 PM
Yes, but what is the make and model year of that car?

-- Posted by mo_ky_fellow on Sun, Feb 20, 2011, at 6:30 PM
The car is a 1956 Buick Roadmaster Riveria (Model 76-R). Although there were 572,024 total Buicks built for the 1956 model year (which put Buick in third place for the year), the Roadmaster Riveria accounted for only 12,490 units. Purchasing one of these would LIGHTEN your wallet by $3,591 but ADD 4,235 pounds to your driveway!

-- Posted by stevenbrookins on Sun, Feb 20, 2011, at 9:00 PM
I believe the gas fill point on that style of buick was in the tail light?

-- Posted by Hugh M Bean on Mon, Feb 21, 2011, at 11:21 AM
Hugh:

You may be correct about the gas fill point. It was fun to watch the young, inexperienced gas station attendants look for the gas caps. I KNOW the '56 and '57 Chevrolets as well as the '58 Oldsmobiles had their gas caps behind the LEFT taillight.

-- Posted by stevenbrookins on Mon, Feb 21, 2011, at 1:02 PM
I worked with Mr. Brenneke in the '70s. A fine, well liked man that always had customer satifaction in mind.

Puxico has a full service station.

-- Posted by Old John on Tue, Feb 22, 2011, at 11:52 AM
That picture reminds me of one of my grandfather's favorite jokes about a service station attendant that was hearing - impaired.

One day a lady pulled in and asked where the restroom is. He thought she asked where a whisk broom is and told her just to back up to the air hose and he would blow it out for her.

-- Posted by klrwhizkid on Mon, Dec 15, 2014, at 9:00 AM
I worked for Mr. Brennecke for my last two years of college. (1969-1970) I worked 40 hours a week part time while going to college and 60 hours a week during the week. I also rented an apartment in the basement of his home.

No matter how much gas you purchased, we would vacuum the entire interior, wash all windows, check the oil and check the air pressure in each tire.

-- Posted by David LaRose on Fri, Sep 4, 2020, at 1:37 PM

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