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Searcy Arkansas c. 1930 Pershing Service Station and First Methodist Church and a wrecked car.

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

Pershing Filling Station

This picture is so interesting.  This was loaned to me by Bob and Anita Fuller.  It shows a wrecker pulling in a wrecked car and dates around the 1930's.  In the background is First Methodist Church.  The filling station was called Pershing Service Station and is no longer there.  I have another picture of Pershing Filling Station on this blog.

I need some of the Searcy experts to tell us what the two story building in the background was.  And is that a man back there in front of the church?  I do love this picture!

Show All Comments
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Golly Barbara---guess they don't make them like they used to:)

Feb 04, 2010 11:36 AM
Greg Nino
RE/MAX Compass - Houston, TX
Houston, Texas

Barbara - that's me in the back ground. I've been walking the Earth for thousands of years.

Feb 04, 2010 11:38 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Charles, isn't that one fantastic picture.  Zane (remember Zane) would love it.

Greg, upon closer examination, looks like there's a lady friend with you.  She followed you for a thousand years!

Feb 04, 2010 12:03 PM
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

Barbara, that two story wood building was owned by the Methodist Church and was called the Annex.  It was mostly Sunday School rooms.  I remember being on the second floor when someone came up and told up about Pearl Harbor.  Of course, I didn't really understand the significance of it but could tell that all the adults were very concerned.  It was torn down in the late 1940's and replaced by the Education Building which is still standing (I think).  I'll check Google Street View later and see if it is.

Feb 04, 2010 04:29 PM
#4
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

I just checked Google Street View and the Education Building is still standing on the corner but with an archway built between it and then main church building.

However, I note a new building across the street where the Christian Church use to be.  Does anyone know what that is?

Feb 04, 2010 04:34 PM
#5
Anonymous
Harold Gene Sullivan

Sorry to keep sending all these posts but I keep thinking about things. :-)

Yes, Barbara, that is a man standing in front of the church looking like he is waiting to cross the street. (I saved the picture and then enlarged it.)

Pershing Service Station (I don't know if it was really still the Pershing Service Station or not, we just called it the Texico Station) was where we would park for church since they were not open on Sunday.  I especially remember Sunday nights, church was at 7:30pm.  There would hardly be anyone in chruch at 7:29pm as everyone would be in their cars listening to the radio, I think it was Amos & Andy.  Then as soon as it was over, they would come streaming across the street to the church.

Feb 04, 2010 04:46 PM
#6
Tony & Darcy Cannon
Aubrey and Associates Realty - Layton, UT
The C Team

Barbara, great photo!  I love the historical photos that you have been posting!  Thank you, I hope  that no one was seriously injured all those years ago in that wreck! 

Feb 04, 2010 06:04 PM
Suesan Jenifer Therriault
JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team - Blakeslee, PA
"Inspecting every purchase as if it were my own".

Neat photograph Barbara. I don't think I've really ever seen a wrecker from the 30's before and if I did I certainly can't recall what it looked like. Thanks for the photo, can't wait to share it with my boys. They're all very into vintage cars and trucks.

Feb 04, 2010 11:25 PM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Barbara, the picture is great---it looks like a still life for Thomas Hart Benton:)

Feb 04, 2010 11:48 PM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

To my untrained eye, that wrecker looks "homemade".....does anyone else think so?  It looks to have a cloth top on the cab and the sides look wooden.....as if someone took a car, sawed it in half and added the back.

You guys who know cars and trucks, help me out here. Convince me I'm not toally crazy or seeing things.

Harold Gene, the huge building owned by lst Methodist is the Yancey Building....named for Louise and Elmer Yancey and probably built with a lot of their church contributions.   I'm not sure what it is used for, but I know when they have BIG potlucks and big eating events, - like the upcoming Valentine's dinner - they hold said event in The Yancey Building.

Feb 05, 2010 12:11 AM
#10
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Oh heavens, the Methodists are swarming like a flock of blackbirds on this picture. I haven't even rubbed the sleep from my eyes before Hal and Anita have flooded this blog with comments. What can I say except what a jewel, Anita.

I agree with Anita. Looks like the bed has been extended. Here's some views of a 1925 Ford Model T One Ton Tow Truck. The longer frame would allow heaver loads to be towed. Greater mechanical advantage.

1925 Ford Model T One Ton Tow Truck Views

Also, Harold, looks like there are two people standing across the street. One in a overcoat standing sideways. Maybe it's a mailbox.

Across Street

 

Feb 05, 2010 03:47 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Godmother,

Had Mr Charles been driving the wrecked car. You ought to check out his fenders.

Nutsy, Godson

Feb 05, 2010 08:28 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Harold Gene, the Methodist Church bought the old church that was on that corner and it is now some sort of building for the Methodist Church.  The Church also owns the old Rendezvous building and has it up for sale right now.  They must own the whole East side of Main St in their vicinity.

Feb 05, 2010 11:38 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Harold Gene, I like the vividness of your description of people piling out of their cars after the show was over and heading into church.  Were they laughing and laughing too? 

Tony, thanks for the compliment on the old photos.

Suesan, that is one of the clearest old photos that I've ever seen.  Surely it wasn't done by a professional photographer.  Today we'd say it has high resolution!

Anita, you are always  good with the comments.

Don, those are beautiful wreckers and must be exactly the same as the one in the picture.  So, yes, Anita there is a real wrecker.  The man in the picture looks sorta like the commenter right below.

Godson Nutsy, are you in the picture across the street looking at the accident?  Looks like a classy gent like you.

 

Feb 05, 2010 11:44 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Charles, it does remind you of Thomas Hart Benton. I love his work. 

Feb 05, 2010 11:49 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

I found this in Muncy's book.

The coming of the automobile also meant the coming of the service station
and the passing of the livery stable and blacksmith shop . One of Searcy' s
earliest was the Pershing Highway Service Station on North Main Street .

Built just alter World War I by A. B. Cost and Ralph Randall , it was named in
honor of the great general of the American forces during the war, after whom
also the highway which passed through Arkansas to Little Rock was named .
Sinclair Lightle bought a share of the business in 1923, and six years later
acquired full ownership. The name was changed in 1929 to the Lightle Service
Station. Lightle retained it until 1965. when he sold it to the People's Insurance
and Investment Company and retired after forty-one years of servicing Searcian's
automobiles at the same location.

In 1933, five gallons of gasoline could be bought for a dollar at this station.

Feb 07, 2010 01:39 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Godmother,

I once had to cite Mr Charles for restless driving when he was north of the border.

Nutsy

Feb 07, 2010 05:22 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

One more link to the Pershing station can be found here.

That station has special memories for me since I lived about a half block away in 1943.

Jul 14, 2016 01:09 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Don, also remember the one where the guys are enlarged for us to see them better.  http://activerain.com/blogsview/3362420/pershing-filling-station-in-searcy-ar-----closeup-views-from-ebay-buyer-

Jul 14, 2016 02:04 AM
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