Story Under a Stone: The Old Gas Station

 Since 1931, a venerable old gas station has stood at the Y junction of a street heading to downtown Sheldon and a highway passing by. Across from where the school once stood it remains as one of the few remaining landmarks of an older town. Its sets there now as “Black’s Three,” but its original designation was Culver’s Filling Station. The Frank Culver family established and ran the business.  Besides Culver, others listed in the Sheldon history book ran  it through the years: Frank McGurk, Gene and Ed Suchla, Maynerd Strand, Louis Larson, Pat Anderson, Jim Fey, Rick Black.

A headline in the April 2, 1931 Sheldon Progress stated “Culver Buys Land For Filling Station.” The article said in part, “It is the intention of Mr. Culver to put up a frame structure, stucco the exterior and make it a nifty looking place. His son, Guy, will be in charge of the establishment. Just what brand of gasoline and oils will be handled is undecided.”  Frank purchased the land from Mrs. Belle Rife.

But it just wasn’t petroleum products the business handled. Skipping ahead to 1939 we learn of another product the station advertised: “Don’t get your note book covers until you see the new ones at Culver’s Service Station, Complete School Supplies.”

Frank C. Culver, the station’s founder, died a few days short of his 80th birthday on November 18, 1941, and was buried in the Sheldon Cemetery. Familiar names served as pallbearers - Al Kinney, R. E. Kratt, E. E. Good, Olie Larson, Wm. Cuthill, and Louis Howell.

The Culvers chose an interesting design for their business when they built it with steep pitched roof lines. It’s unfortunate there weren’t any hills nearby because it could have served as a ski chalet. It is probably because of that steep pitch that the building has not deteriorated more than it has. Even poor shingles will shed rain and snow much faster and longer than conventional pitches. The building is 95 years old.

A large house once stood across the street where the Culver family lived. Memories of two families living there come to mind. Loyal and Trudy Good raised their family there. I remember well Curtiss, Darold, Dennis, Karen, and Marlyn. They’ve since relocated to the state of Oregon. More recently the Gene and Marion Thompson and their family lived in it. Friends will all remember “Doc”, Donna, Dennis, Doyle, and David.

At one time many buildings lined both sides of main street and defined the Sheldon that provided services to the public, but almost all have disappeared. Two adjoining brick buildings still stand on main street. It would leave a noticeable absence if this old service station building should disappear. 

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