Curbside Pumps

At the advent of the car, gas stations did not exist. Drivers were required to drive out to the edge of town and pick up their own gas. Pumps first appeared in 1905 and were found along curbs in front of local business, such as grocery stores and hardware stores. In the 1920s, curbside pumps were considered a hazard and prohibited in city and town centers. However, rural roads continued to provide curbside service.

If your image contains a curbside pump in a central business district, it likely dates from 1905 to the late 1910s. If the curbside pump is located in a rural area, it still date later and other evidence may be necessary to discern the date, such as pump style.

The images below illustrate downtown curbside pumps. Note how the cars pull up parallel to the curb for service.

Curbside Pumps: Image courtesy of John Jakle, Gas Station in America, 1994.

The image below illustrates a rural curbside pump that continued to run long after urban curbside pumps were outlawed.

Rural Pump: Image courtesy of John Jakle.