Gas Station

	This 12 by 14 foot gas station was built in Turtle Lake by the late Arthur Gehrman in 1931. He was the sole owner of the small station that had operated for about forty-two years, closing in 1973. Mr. Gehrman's wife, Mrs. Gehrman, donated the building to the Barron County Historical Society and it was moved to the museum in February, 1975.
Pictured to the right, are some fuel pumps that you might have seen back in the 1930's at your local gas station. In the picture to the right you can see at the top of the pump there is a large glass cylinder. When someone wanted gas they would hand pump gas from a tank underneath up into this glass container. Inside the cylinder were small markers showing how many gallons you had pumped. Finally, you could put the nozzle into your Model T or tank and let gravity pull the right amount of gas that you needed.
	Most people used wood to fuel their stoves, but some of the newer stoves were fueled by kerosene. Most lanterns also ran on kerosene. To meet their kerosene needs, people would go to their local gas station which would usually have a fifty gallon drum that they could get it from. One of the drums used for this purpose is featured outside the gas station at the museum. In the picture to the left you can get a peek inside the gas station. There are many old antiques like oil cans, oil pumps, a cash register, and a few mechanic tools used on the early Model T's. Below is a picture of a gas wagon, located in Building 28, that would transport gas and kerosene to different gas stations in the area.

NEXT► the gas wagon

Pioneer Village Museum PO Box 242 Cameron, WI 54822
715-458-2080 (museum) or 715-642-1327 (cell) or 715-418-3718 (cell)
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