U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 1: First
Drive-In Gas Station
WASHINGTON Dec. 1, 2015; On this date in 1913, what is today the Gulf Oil Company opened
the nation's first drive-in gas station. Located at the intersection of
Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in
Pittsburgh, the filling station was a simple but
pleasing structure, with a cantilevered pagoda-style roof to shelter the
pumps, cars and station attendants. Before this innovation, gasoline was
dispensed from sometimes awkwardly located pumps at such places as grocery
and hardware stores, and even some pharmacies. Yet in the ensuing 102
years, some of this earlier practice has come full circle. Across the U.S.
today, there are over 112,000 gas stations. The vast majority—some
97,000—are combined with convenience or food mart stores. You can find more
facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at
www.census.gov.
Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 2499
First station and prior
sales/accessed 10/29/2015: https://www.gulfoil.com/AboutGulf/100Years.aspx
Gas stations/NAICS 447:
http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=BP_2013_00A1&prodType=table
Gas stations with convenience stores/NAICS 447110:
http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=BP_2013_00A1&prodType=table
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