News: Spencer History – Filling Stations

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Telschow, Tydol, Jacobitz, Neumann, Lake, Holterman, Goeler, Lewis, Higgins, Borth, Nail, Miseks, Gorst, Kerksieck, Glamen, Hanneman

Source: Spencer Centennial Book (1874 – 1974)

The dictionary definition for filling station is a retail station for supplying gasoline, oil, etc. for motor vehicles and that is years. Spencer has had quite a few filling static throughout the years.

One of the first was built by Ed Telschow on Highway 13 where the Walter Matter home now stands. A Tydol sign on a postal card street scene identifies it and a Tydol Bulk Plant stood where the Jacobitz Car Wash is now located.

In 1928 Frank Neumann built and operated a station on the southwest corner of Highway 13 and County Trunk V. They also had a lunch counter named "The Maple Park Inn" as Frank had planted a grove of Maple trees there. The white eagle which stood there was a symbol of the White Eagle Oil Company. Henry Lake purchased the station in 1946 and operated it for a time. It is no longer in this location.

William Holterman built a filling station on the site of Dan's Citgo Station. Holterman sold it to Emil Hanneman, who later sold it to the Marshfield Oil Company. Pete Goeler operated it for several years, followed by Owen Higgins and others. Daniel Lewis now operates this station, first as a DX Station and now changed to Citgo.

There was a small Standard Oil Company filling station on the corner of Highway 13 and County C managed by Paul Schaefer, along with a lunch counter. Albert Borth also operated the station for a while. After the Schulz home was moved from that site in later years, a new larger Standard Oil Station was built in that location. It was operated by several different managers until it went out of business and the Farmers’ Cooperative Company eventually bought the building for a garage and service station.

Orville Nail built a Texaco Station in the 1930's on South Pacific Street which expanded in 1945 to a hardware, appliance and furniture store, with a Deep Rock filling station. Adjoining this building was the Hi Way Cafe which was in operation from 1949 until 1957. Nail's Motel was also a part of this complex, having been started in 1949 and existed as a motel until 1962 when it became the Nail Apartments. The filling station was operated for a time by the Leroy Miseks and Ray and Beatrice Gorst. Later the Spencer Home Oil, as it was named, was liquidated and this building was also made into apartments and sold on January 1, 1971 to Fred and Winnie Kerksieck.

John Hess owned and operated a small filling station by his home across from the Soo Line Depot prior to 1931, when Arthur Glamen bought it and sold Cities Service gas. It was later torn down.