A newspaper photograph of Bob Watkins old Texaco Service Station on East Grand Avenue, Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, as it appeared in an article in the West Schuylkill Herald, Tower City, May 25, 1972. The new station, also pictured and shown below, was slated for its Grand Opening on May 26 with celebrations continuing through the weekend.
The accompanying article gave a history of the Watkins family in the automobile business in the Tower City area:
WATKINS TEXACO GRAND OPENING STARTS TOMORROW
The grand opening of Bob Watkins new Texaco Service Station at 523 E. Grand Avenue will bein tomorrow and continue Saturday and Sunday.
A new cement block building where all mechanical work is done and supplies are sold has been erected along the west side of the area. The old small building which faced the south along the northern boundary has been torn down. New gas pumps have been installed and large attractive wrought iron lamps have been hung above the pumps. Blacktop paving of the entire parking area was begun Saturday and completed Monday.
Watkins took over the service station in February of 1969 when the late Phil Hand, former proprietor, retired after having managed the station for Watkins Brothers for 23 years. Prior to that time, the business had been managed by Elmer English of Muir.
The former building was very small compared to the new modern building, as shown in the before and after pictures.
A grand opening feature will be a free quart of Pepsi Cola and a chance on a set of water glasses with each $3 worth of gasoline purchased during the three day period. One hundred and fifty sets of glasses will be given away. There will also be free candy for the children.
Stop at the Texaco sign for all your car service and state inspections receive S & H Green Stamps as an additional bonus, and put your trust in the man who wears the star.
The new service station is the latest in a long list of advancements and improvements made by the Watkins family. Before the turn of the century. James H. Watkins, who started as a typesetter for the Valley Echo, started a wholesale candy business.
he entered the automobile business in the early 1900s, starting with the Brush car. He changed to Studebaker, Maxwell and Ford. When Henry Ford came out with the assembly line produced automobiles the Watkins Agency was selling Fords for $285 delivered. When Ford in 1918 insisted that his dealers also sell tractors, J. B. Watkins changed to Dodge. The showroom was located on East Main Street, where the A & P is now located [1972].
With his brother, Ivan Watkins, J. B. Watkins and Brother continued to sell Dodge cars until 1927, when the firm changed to Chevrolet. J. B. Watkins and Brother, Inc. continued as a Chevrolet dealership to the present time. The dealership may be the oldest in the country which has continued in the same family. The name is now [1972] Watkins Motors.
The firm branched out into the oil and gas business in 1939 under the name Tower Sales. Joseph Watkins directs the operations of the Watkins firms.
The wholesale candy and tobacco business was discontinued in 1958.
The Watkins homes, automobile agency, Tower Sales and now the service station have done much to beautify the community.
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Photos and news article from Newspapers.com.
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