Though gas stations are often thought of as merely an inconvenient stop along a road trip, they can also be part of the fun, and sometimes, even a destination. Take, for example, this historic gas station turned town visitor center in Nebraska. This might just be the only gas station you’ll ever want to add to your ever-growing Nebraska bucket list. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Located on Spruce Street in downtown Ogallala, Nebraska — a small town nestled along the South Platte River near the Colorado border — the Standard Oil Red Crown Service Station is a historic gem just waiting to be discovered.
Jasperdo/Flickr
Built in 1922, this historic service station is one of fewer than 20 former Standard Oil service stations still standing in Nebraska.
Nebraska Lincoln Highway Historic Byway/Facebook By 1930, Standard Oil had built service stations in approximately 130 Nebraska communities, but that number has dwindled greatly over the years.
The Spruce Street Station is often considered to be one of the best preserved of these stations and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Missa Rascon/Google
The small brick building facing diagonally on a corner lot onto the main business street of Ogallala, Spruce Street, and 3rd Street, and reminds us of another era.
Smallbones/Wikipedia
In addition to historic gas pumps, you will find a statue of a man named Hugh, a friendly hometown mechanic who embodies the spirit of the Lincoln Highway.
Missa Rascon/Google “He commemorates a simpler, gentler time, when an attendant would pump your gas, check your oil, and wave you on your way with a smile,” reads a plaque found at the service center.
Designed by architects John and Alan McDonald, the building has found a new life as the Spruce Street Visitor Center after sitting vacant for many, many years. The building was restored in 2003 as part of the ceremony for the 90th anniversary of “America’s Original Main Street,” the Lincoln Highway.
Missa Rascon/Google Stop by to experience a slice of often overlooked Nebraska history and as much information about the town of Ogallala you could ever want.
Have you ever visited this unique and historic gas station? What about The Historic Nebraska Restaurant That Only Gets Better With Age?
Jasperdo/Flickr
Nebraska Lincoln Highway Historic Byway/Facebook
By 1930, Standard Oil had built service stations in approximately 130 Nebraska communities, but that number has dwindled greatly over the years.
Missa Rascon/Google
Smallbones/Wikipedia
“He commemorates a simpler, gentler time, when an attendant would pump your gas, check your oil, and wave you on your way with a smile,” reads a plaque found at the service center.
Stop by to experience a slice of often overlooked Nebraska history and as much information about the town of Ogallala you could ever want.
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Address: 220 N Spruce St, Ogallala, NE 69153, USA
