Jack Wilkie’s Texaco Station, Beacon & East Grand
by Paula Bosse
A man with a bow-tie will be with you presently….
by Paula Bosse
Above, Jack Wilkie’s Texaco service station at 5523 East Grand. It’s a shame gas stations are rarely this interesting anymore. The station opened in 1937 and was at this location well into the 1940s. Below, the same view today, with that tall brick building in the background of both photos. (I’m not sure what that building is, but while I was waiting for a friend in the Kalachandji’s parking lot a few months ago, I remember thinking what a strange building it was — especially when seen from the side. It’s had some weird additions made to the original building.) This part of East Dallas still has pockets of charm, but it’s never again going to be as cool as it was when Jack Wilkie’s service station was holding down the fort at the corner of Beacon and E. Grand.
***
Sources & Notes
Top image from Flickr, here.
Second image from Google Street View.
*
Copyright © 2015 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
This photograph was probably taken not long after the station’s 1937 opening; it would have made a really good backdrop for the film Double Indemnity, which was set in 1938. And welcome back!
LikeLike
Thanks, Bob. I only wish Jack were still in business, because I’m not very far away from his location, sitting in a gas station parking lot with a flat tire waiting (ironically) for roadside assistance.
LikeLike
Yes that was my grandfather’s Texaco station that he showed me he had sold in order to open a newer style Texaco station at Northpark mall in 1960. He had fond and nostalgic thoughts he shared with me in 1960. At that time he lived just off Garland road on Bally Mote drive. At that time I was 8-9 yrs old and he had Texaco promo gifts that owners of those stations would give to patrons during that time period. That day he gave me a Texaco Tanker. A plastic tanker, “boat” that floated and ran on D cell batteries and I did many times. It’s nice to see this picture as I remember him, his station and the nostalgia of that time. Thank you, Grant Loveless, grandson of Hugh Edward “Jack” Willie, a wonderful man and grandfather. Dede Jack
LikeLiked by 1 person