Amoco Gas Station (Gone)
Colorado Springs, CO
Photo courtesy Mike Lascuola

The Amoco Gas Station sign stood tall above the Colorado Springs roadside, letting that familiar red, white, and blue torch do the advertising. You didn’t need to read every letter to recognize the brand. A quick glance was usually enough to know where to pull in.

Amoco merged with BP in 1998, and many stations gradually traded their torch signs for BP’s green branding. The Amoco name eventually returned to selected markets in 2017, although that didn’t bring back every oversized sign that had disappeared along the way.

UPDATE: The vintage sign at this location is gone. Amoco survives as a gasoline brand, but this photo preserves an earlier roadside look, when a giant illuminated torch could point travelers toward their next fill up. 06-26

Stinker Station
Idaho Falls, ID
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

A gas station called Stinker Station practically guarantees a second look. Add a cartoon skunk to the sign, and you’ve got roadside advertising that’s difficult to forget. This Idaho Falls location carried on one of Idaho’s more unusual business names.

The company began in Twin Falls in 1936, when Farris Lind attracted customers with low gasoline prices. According to company history, a competitor called him a “stinker” in a newspaper. Lind adopted the insult, added a skunk wearing red boxing gloves, and turned it into an advertising advantage.

UPDATE: Stinker continues operating stores across Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming. Stations have changed over the years, but the skunk remains part of the company’s identity. Apparently, being called a stinker isn’t always bad for business. 06-26

Stinker Station
Twin Falls, ID
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The boxing skunk at Stinker Station looks ready to defend another bargain in Twin Falls. This is the city where the chain began, making it an especially fitting place to spot a mascot that never bothered trying to look like a respectable oil company executive.

Farris Lind opened his first station here in 1936. His low prices irritated competitors, and the resulting “stinker” nickname became the company name. The red boxing gloves gave the skunk a little fighting spirit, setting the independent operation apart from the national gasoline brands.

UPDATE: Stinker remains in business, with stores throughout Idaho and neighboring states. This photograph captures the brand in its hometown, where an insult and a cartoon skunk helped launch a roadside identity that has lasted for ninety years. 06-26

Sinclair Station (Closed)
Goshen, UT
Photo courtesy Kenny Kanosh

The faded Sinclair Station in Elberta looks like it has been sitting beside the road forever. Weathered siding and old gasoline branding give it plenty of character, but this little building actually did some traveling before settling here near Goshen. 09-08

Built in 1917 in the mining community of Dividend, the station originally served motorists near the Tintic Standard Mine. After the mine closed in 1947, residents began moving buildings out of town rather than leaving everything behind. The station made its way to Elberta, where it later served as a repair shop.

UPDATE: The pumps stopped serving motorists long ago, but the old station survives as a favorite roadside photo subject. Vintage vehicles and other decorations add to the scene, although the building’s journey from a fading mining town is probably its most interesting feature. 06-26