“You Can Get That Famous Marathon Gasoline in Oak Cliff” — 1930
by Paula Bosse
Somewhere in Oak Cliff, 1930, via Smithsonian Inst.
by Paula Bosse
Rejoice, Oak Cliff residents of 1930: you’re getting five Marathon gas stations! I’m not sure why these stations were only in Oak Cliff and no other part of Dallas, but they were (a sixth station joined this elite group a year or so later).
I have a fascination with old gas stations, but I have to admit I’m not familiar with Marathon Gasoline or Marathon Oil products or the Transcontinental Oil Co. (they had a refinery in Fort Worth), but for whatever reason, the Marathon stations in Dallas — all emblazoned with an image of the Greek runner Pheidippides — appear to have faded away by about 1942 when I guess the last straggler finally crossed the finish lane, collapsed, and died. Farewell, Pheidippides.
The photo above shows one of those first 5 stations in Dallas. The location is not specified.
Marathon stations in the O.C. in 1930:
- No. 1: Jefferson & Llewellyn Sts. (539 W. Jefferson)
- No. 2: Zangs Blvd. & Beckley Ave. (1111 N. Zang)
- No. 3 Jimtown Rd. & Montreal Ave. (2120 W. Clarendon Dr.) (in 1931, residents petitioned the city to change the name of the street to “Clarendon” because they thought “Jimtown” was too déclassé)
- No. 4: Zangs Blvd. & Davis St. (137 W. Davis — this was the station that lasted the longest, appearing to have closed by the time the 1942 city directory was published)
- No. 5: Polk & Davis Sts. (938 W. Davis)
- (No. 6: 1804 W. Jefferson)
It doesn’t look like any of the old buildings are still standing, but there IS one of the exact same design still standing in Miami, Oklahoma — a group restored it and even added period gas pumps (which someone later stole) — see it below.
Miami, OK, Google Street View July 2016
Not all of the Dallas stations had the same design — a press release describes the stations of possessing “distinctive architecture.” Another of the Oak Cliff locations looked very different (and certainly more distinctive):
Somewhere in Oak Cliff, 1930
The one above is the same design seen in this local ad:
April 1930
May 1930
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Sources & Notes
Top photo is from the American Petroleum Institute Photograph and Film Collection, National Museum of American History, Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution — more info can be found here.
I seem to post a lot about gas stations. Here are a few notable posts:
- “Magnolia Gas Station No. 110 — 1920”
- “Simms Super Service Station, Cedar Springs & Maple — 1930”
- “The Filling Station on Greenville Avenue: From Bonnie & Clyde to Legendary Burger Place”
- “Oak Cliff: “A City Within a City” — 1929” (scroll almost all the way to the bottom to see the Skinnie & Jimmie Service Station)
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Copyright © 2023 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
Transcontinental was taken over in 1930 by Ohio Oil Co., whom Transcontinental had gotten to drill its exploratory wells on the Ira Yates Ranch (near Iraan). They hit it big there, ushering in the Yates Field. But as part of the deal, Ohio got the crude. This did not alleviate the source issue for T-C, namely obtaining enough crude to refine enough gasoline to keep its distribution network supplied, so Ohio got all the stations and T-C went out of business. Ohio owns the Marathon trademark, and operates Marathon stations to this day. There is another Transcontinental Oil Co. today that dates back to 2005.
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Thanks, Matt.
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