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I found this photo of a Marland (later Conoco) gas station on the internet a while ago, and the gas pump looks very unusual. The description of the photo said it was a station in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1926 (although I don't believe Marland had stations in Michigan in 1926). Anyway, this is the first pump I have seen that looked to be encased in concrete. It appears to be a Fleckenstein 400, as shown in Jack Sim's latest book on page 188. Has anybody seen a similar gas pump before? Do you agree that it is a Fleckenstein 400?

Thanks.

Andy

Grand Rapids, MI  (Marland station) in 1926  <Visible pumps>  [FB David Meyer].jpg
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That is a Fleckenstein pump, probably a 400. That handle in the front is what you used to pump the gasoline. Twenty-nine different Fleckenstein Pumps are shown in my Gas Pump Bible book.

Jack Sim


Author, 1st & 2nd editions of Gas Pump ID book, 3rd edition is now available at www.gaspumpbible.com
Air Meter ID book also available
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Yep, RARE Fleckenstien pumps and the dual 10 has to be rarer than the single 10 . I have a friend in Canada who seemed to find several of the single 10 wall mount models . Some folks ahve all the luck


see ya on the road folks !
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I think Marland was in Michigan very early

The 1927 Marland map is stamped from a Flushing, Michigan location.
The 1926 Gratiot County Oil Co shows them selling Marland oils.
There exsists a 1925 map from Gratiot showing them selling Marland gasoline as well.

Dave

Marland 1927.jpg Gratiot County Oil map RM 1926.jpg
Last edited by Dave Rowlison; Thu Apr 18 2019 02:06 AM.
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Thanks Dave. My information is based on a 1927 pamphlet from Marland listing their states of operation, and Michigan isn't listed.

I often find photos to be mis-dated, so this one might be from a few years later. But I do have a handful of photos of Marland stations in Michigan, so they clearly were in Michigan before the June 1929 merger with Continental Oil.

I also know that motor oils were distributed by Marland (and later Conoco) through other branded gas stations, so it isn't clear when a company refers to having a presence in a certain location whether they were referring to motor oils or gas stations. Then you have the age-old issue of whether they are referring to company-owned gas stations or dealer stations owned by jobbers.....

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Dave: I did some more digging, and I found these two items that support Marland gasoline being sold in Michigan in the early days. The first is a 1921 Yearbook ad from a high school in Grand Rapids, MI and the second is a newspaper ad from Port Huron, MI in 1925. Both support the position that Marland gasoline was sold (likely through dealers only) in Michigan in the early and mid-1920's. I am not sure why the 1927 Marland brochure doesn't include Michigan and my only guess is that they were referring to "company owned" stations.

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It appears that the second attachment didn't come through, and it keeps failing when I upload it. Will continue trying...

Port Huron ad 1925 Marland.png
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Just take a look at all the filled, quart glass oil bottles lined up in front of the building. It's easy to forget the cars and trucks of the teen's and twenties consumed a fair amount of oil....some of them even by engine design. John

Last edited by Jolly-John; Thu Apr 18 2019 06:35 PM.

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