Part II - Business, a supplement to the Big Rapids Pioneer Newspaper. Used with permission.



FILL ER UP AND CLEAN THE WINDOWS PLEASE

Remember those days when you puttled into a service station and asked the attendant to fill 'er up and wash the windows please?

Well those days are long gone along with the 32.9 cents per gallon advertised at the Clark Station (above) that used to be located on the west side of State Strret at its intersection with Michigan Avenue. Now days you'll be lucky to get your gas for under $2 a gallon and you'll be pumping it yourself.

Among the other stations that have come and gone are Cities Service (right) and at left from top down Curries Standard, Earl Perk's Easide Sunoco and West's Garage.

Rich Currie operated his Standard Station on the southeast corner of Michigan and Maple for a lot of years before moving to the east side of the river where sons Pat and John continue a service center at 620 Maple with a fast food restaurant.

Earl Peck's East Side Texaco was located at 414 E. Maple and in the picture taken in 1947 his staff included Lee Fetterley, Ernie Russell, Ralph Sturdevant, his bookkeeper Leroy Worth and Peck (far right).

West's Garage was located at 524 N. State in a building now occupied by city attorney Eric Williams.

These, of course, a just a few of msny that have come and gone over the years. There were 38 service stations listed in the 1938 city directory and undoubtedly some before and some after that particular year.

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