WHAT A GAS Local Resident Enjoys His Texaco Service Station Replica Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Amy Payne
During stressful times, especially in today’s world, it’s nice to have a pleasant destination to escape to - a place that brings back wonderful memories. Garry Gilbert, a White River Township resident, has such a place. Gilbert owns a replica of a 1960s-era Texaco service station in a wooded area of White River Township. He says it helps him relax and recapture his youth. “When I was growing up in Taylor County, Kentucky, I would go to a local Ashland service station with my dad and grandfather, who was the local county sheriff,” Gilbert says. “We
would spend a lot of great times with the people who worked there and the local people who came in the station. My grandfather would get a call on his police scanner, and then leave for a while. My dad and I would hang out with everyone. My grandfather would come back later, and he would continue talking to everybody. I loved it there.” Gilbert hired Jeff Snodgrass of Snodgrass Enterprises in Morgantown, Indiana, to build the Texaco service station replication, which has 1960s-era signage, gas pumps and other memorabilia. The station is reminiscent of the garage where Gomer Pyle worked on “The Andy Griffith Show”. It conjures up memories of a simpler time. Observers can almost imagine Andy Taylor and Barney Fife, characters from the show played by Andy Griffith and Don Knotts respectively, pulling up for some gas or a cold pop.
“The Texaco service station was finished in 2015,” Gilbert says. “The Texaco replica station brings back a lot of memories. I have old oil cans and gas cans from that time, as well as two original gas pumps. I also have old Coke machines and an old phone booth. I really wanted to recreate the look and feel of the station.” Gilbert also has Clark Bar candy bars, MoonPies and soda bottles from the 1960s on display. “The garage has a lift and equipment for both restoration and repairs,” Gilbert says. “I also have restroom fixtures that are made from radiator pistons and auto parts. I really enjoyed working on the planning and construction of the garage. It was a lot of fun.” The station has been both a hobby and an escape for Gilbert.
22 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2020 / atGreenwood.com
