Yesterday’s photo of snowfall in Van Nuys prompted Joel Sanoff to post this photo in the thread. It’s so great that I thought I’d feature it today. These two gas station workers are shoveling snow on the corner of Ventura Blvd and Topanga Canyon Blvd in the Woodland Hills area of the San Fernando Valley. This photo was taken in January 1949, back when I bet those two guys would clean your windshield and check your oil while they pumped your gas.
That corner still houses a gas station. This image is from February 2023.
Associated is what we know as “Flying A” gas stations, the labels being prominently displayed on the pumps. Beyond those, we barely see parts of the names Veedol and Tydol, two products of this company. Along with Richfield, Union, and Standard (Chevron gas) these were among the big names commonly found all throughout the local region. But they were even present in many western states so people often had an affinity for sticking with their favorite branded stations as they traveled. A lot of good road maps came of this. Flying A began to disappear in the ‘60’s as Mobil became more prominent on street corners. Phillips 66 also largely faded. Union 76 soon then became Unocal. Mohawk was around into the 1980 era, but you’d have to be looking in places like Cucamonga or Riverside. (Shell was huge too.)
Wait! Does that modern photo have Floyd’s Barber Shop in the back behind the station? I detect Andy Griffith fans.
^^^ Before 2015 that was a KFC.
Thanks, Joel (and Martin), another snow photo I haven’t seen before!
Gas stations back then were small. I find that very charming. The ones today are so big. I think the smaller ones had more of a real customer service mindset. Thanks for the photo!
I heard about that big snow day growing up in the valley. Every winter I wanted it to snow but it never did. Sometimes you would get teased with a dusting on the Verdugo hills. I did get to go to the snow when I was about 9, when Palmdale got a lot of snow one winter, I think in 1970. What a day that was.