Esso Gas
Galivants Ferry, SC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Esso Gas station along U.S. 501 in Galivants Ferry offers a colorful reminder of an earlier highway stop. Restored signs, vintage pumps, and the small white building make an inviting combination near the Little Pee Dee River. The gasoline business has moved on, but the old station still knows how to attract attention.

Built around 1922 and later relocated a short distance, the station belongs to a historic setting that includes agricultural buildings, a grist mill, and a red barn. Galivants Ferry also has a political tradition reaching into the nineteenth century, when campaign gatherings developed into the celebrated Stump Meeting. There’s considerably more history here than the passing beach traffic might suggest.

UPDATE: The station remains preserved as a roadside display beside a modern convenience store. Its Esso branding and vintage equipment retain the appearance of a small-town fuel stop, adding an automotive chapter to Galivants Ferry’s farming, river-crossing, and political history. 08-26

Esso Gas
VA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The Esso Gas signs and large Pepsi-Cola advertisements make a cheerful combination at this unidentified Virginia station. Gasoline for the car and a cold drink for the driver were a practical pairing, and the building advertised both. It has the appearance of a country stop where a quick purchase might turn into a conversation. 11-10

Small rural stations often combined fuel sales with groceries, refreshments, and other necessities. The assortment of advertising here suggests that broader role, although the business’s actual history remains unknown. Its location would help establish whether it served a village, a crossroads, or motorists traveling a larger highway.

UPDATE: The station’s location and current status remain unconfirmed. Its original name, operating dates, and the fate of the signs have not been established. If the combination of Esso and Pepsi advertising looks familiar, identifying the community could help fill in the story. 08-26

Texaco Gas
Yanceyville, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The vintage star signs at Texaco Gas give this Yanceyville station an unmistakable identity. Paired with the weathered building, they recall the neighborhood garages that once offered gasoline and automotive service along North Carolina’s smaller roads. The branding supplies much of the scene’s appeal without needing an elaborate custom marquee. 11-10

Yanceyville had several Texaco dealers over the years, making it difficult to assign a specific business history without identifying this property more precisely. The older building nevertheless reflects a familiar arrangement: a modest station serving local cars, pickups, and passing travelers. Signs like these could remain recognizable long after other details of the operation changed.

UPDATE: The station’s present condition and the survival of its Texaco signs have not been confirmed. A construction date and closing date also remain uncertain. Its classic branding remains the clearest link to the business that once operated here. 08-26

Shell Gas
Spartan, NC
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

The old Shell Gas station appeared just around a bend, with its familiar emblem announcing the property before motorists reached the entrance. It was a straightforward roadside arrangement: a recognizable sign, a small building, and somewhere to pull off the road. Sometimes that was all a station needed to become a local reference point. 11-10

UPDATE: The current status of the station and its vintage sign remains unknown. Until the location can be firmly identified, no later use or demolition history can confidently be attached to the property. The familiar shell emblem remains its most useful identifying detail. 08-26