Salisbury’s First Gas Station
If only this corner could talk, oh the stories it would tell!
Early on, this corner was known as the “Amick Corner.” The widow Josephine “Josie” (Heimbrook) Amick purchased the lot where The Bistro is located, and in 1906 opened a millinery.
The early 1900s were all about celebrations of all kinds! The corner of this lot was transformed into an “air-dome” during this time. An air-dome is akin to what we now know as an amphitheater, though much more rudimentary structure. The air dome was multi-use outdoor theater space and widely popular during the warmer months. Outdoor sermons were preached, movies were shown in the evening, street performers of all variety performed on stage, concerts and dances were held…
An example of what the air dome here in Salisbury would have looked like is displayed below.
Following the closing of the air dome just after 1920, the lot was offered for sale by owner Mr. Marvin Dunn. This brings us to the story of the Standard Oil Filling station.
In the colorized photo of the service station below, at the forefront is Mr. William Wade Garrett, Sr. Mr. Garrett was engaged in numerous local businesses, in fact he bounced around quite a bit!
Originally a farmer, Mr. Garrett made several late-in-life career moves. In 1910, at the age of 35, he was an hourly employee at the Salisbury Bottling Works, but by 1918 he was agent for the Standard Oil Company. He yet again tried his hand at farming, partnering with Mr. Buffington in the cattle industry. Within 2 years, he resigned from farming and became the proprietor of the Salisbury Bottling Works.
In 1921, the Standard Oil Company purchased this corner lot and began construction of the filling (gas) station in early 1922. Late in 1922, the station was open for business. The building was the last building site on East Broadway between 4th and 3rd streets to improved upon.
Mr. Garrett, Sr, by then in his late 40s, was then hired as the manager of filling station. His son, William Garrett, Jr was also employed at the station.
In the early 1920s, service stations were unregulated businesses and primarily consisted of a small building, a gas pump (but hey, the service station here had TWO pumps!) and offered basic services such as lubrication and tire repair, and sold batteries, oil, and tires. The Standard Oil Service station located here, was the very first service station of its kind.
Though the exact date the service station closed is unknown, in 1937 Mr. Garrett Sr, tragically died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the 1950s Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation opened their office here, in a newly constructed building. The CV Telephone Corp traces its roots to the “Salisbury Home Telephone Exchange” in the early 1900s. In 1903, the Home Telephone Corp joined with “Chariton County Telephone Organization” – a conglomerate of all telephone exchanges in the county. It was in this year that a full, county-wide telephone book was first published. CV Telephone Corporations maintained their office here through the 1990s. CV Telephone Corporation is still in business locally, with a proud 70+ years of operation.
In the early 2000s, The Chariton County Journal newspaper office was in the building.
Currently, Rusty Pearl Creations runs a storefront for custom designs.
Clue
Stop 16 delivers through all kinds of weather and soldiers as well. Find the QR code to hear the full story.