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or It's
Hard to be Humble
When People Keep Changing Your Name
Text
from San
Antonio Uncovered by Mark Louis Rybczyk*
Photos
by John Troesser
National
Trust for Historic Preservation's
2009 'This
Place Matters' Winner |
| "The
last Humble station still has it's sign. An interesting mosaic on the side of
the building marks it permanently as an outpost for Humble Oil."
|
| "Before
there was Exxon, there was Esso. And in Texas there was Humble Oil. Humble Oil
was once the most important oil company in Texas with service stations stretched
across the state and huge refineries that supplied both Texans and motorists across
the country." |
| "Some
of the old Humble stations have been abandoned, others have been remodeled with
a new corporate logo affixed above the station. All the Humble stations are gone.
All but one." |
| "The
last Humble station no longer pumps gas, and it has no employees. As a matter
of fact, it doesn't even have windows. It's been closed for years." |
| "The
building is located just south of downtown. Bypassed by thousands of cars daily,
it exists in a void. Too small for redevelopment, but saved from demolition by
being far enough away from the highway, the station sits empty as a monument to
the past." |
 | The
broken tile sign above the door. Dark spot at 2 o'clock is a Chimney Swift's nest. |
 | A
slightly different Humble Oil sign somewhere in Harlingen |
| Vintage
photos courtesy Mel Brown |
35
Years of Humble Service by
Mel Brown
At age five, I went to live with my grandparents in San Antonio.
My grandfather, C. K. Brown was nearing the end of a 35 year long career with
The Humble Oil & Refining Co. as a truck driver and was then marking time daily
by running errands for the regional depot. For most of the previous three decades
he had delivered Humble petroleum products throughout South Texas and all over
San Antonio first by mule team, below, then motor transport. But for that first
year before entering grade school, I became his pint sized partner running around
S A with him to the various Humble stations in a '49 Chevy pickup truck.... more
- Mel Brown | |
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