or was there another tidewater co.? Its not the coolest sign ive ever seen, thats for sure. its at a local store here in town.

Tidewater Oil between 1956 and 1966....

There are two Tidewater Oil Companies. First off, Tidewater Oil (Tydol), later, after merging with Associated, becoming Tidewater-Associated Oil, later with the Associated dropped becoming simply Tidewater Oil, again. Flying A was their primary brand. The other Tidewater is Tidewater Oil Service, a small jobber based in Matthews County, Virginia and not marketing over more than about a 100 mile range. This company dates from the 1920s, marketed as Tiwoser until 1952, then became a Pure (later Union) jobber. The company was still in business in the 1980s when I left eastern Virginia.
This sign displays a unique typestyle used by Tidewater (Flying A) and is in no way related to the small Virginia company. It is a dealer nameplate, with custom painted dealer name painted over pre-existing "Tidewater Dealer".

Wayne Henderson
PCM Publishing

As Wayne said, there were 2 Tidewater Oil Company... I know next to nothing on the Virginia based Company....

I based my time period for the sign on: Tidewater Oil dropped Associated from their name in 1956.... Phillips66 took over and rebranded all Flying A Service Stations on the West Coast in 1966...

The station I worked at here in the Longview area during the mid 60s had such a sign over the man door into the station office.....

thanks guys! i was thinking it might of been tidewater equipment - heavy machinery,logging products. think they started in 1947.

Here is my Tidewater that is from the small virginia company. Had it at Hershey last year and a few guys taught me about it. Dan Mathews, Wendall and another guy who i can't remember his name (but knew a WHOLE lot about all tidewater and had a killer, amazing garage with a full tidewater station) gave me alot of info in it. the sign is really cool as the white section in the center are really shallow below the porcelain and seem to be painted with some sort of reflective paint. chuck



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