This is where the map shall forever live: www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1_TIbdJ2GSkbXzU4rCEKEvt-kcR2tOwc&usp=sharing I'll update it if I get more stations!
9:48 yeah near the painted ladies. hopefully you got to see san francisco's new muni station yerba buena & chinatown-rose pak, and the electrification of CalTrain
For those wondering, 7 of the 13 stations on the map are marked on Google maps as Standard stations from overhead, with many of those also marked as Chevron. The other 6 only have Chevron tags.
Idaho weirdly enough has a newly built second Standard station at 4870 N Ten Mile Rd. in Meridian. Like the one at 3200 W. State in Boise it has Chevron pumps, but the signage is all Standard.
@@GearsDatPowerDaTubes I've discovered through looking at licenses that individual gas stations have names. So he probably picked that name since the main brand that people are familiar with these days is Chevron.
Props to the Atlanta guy for his small blurb on the highway that was planned to go through the Va-Hi neighborhood. A little piece of history that you don't hear about enough
People thought I was crazy for stopping at the Standard station in Lake Worth, FL to take pictures of a gas station. Thanks for explaining how that happened.
I live in an old Standard Oil company town. The city is literally named after the refinery. It was their second refinery in California. So they named it “The Second” in Spanish. Thats how we got El Segundo, California.
I had a real "wait, what?" moment the first time I encountered one of these Standard branded stations. It was the first time I'd driven down into the US. I believe it was the same Bellevue, WA location on your map. The most disconcerting thing for me was that it used the contemporary Chevron graphic logo and typeface. I've seen closed/abandoned Standard stations here in Canada with remnants of old branding, but it's not something I anticipated seeing in a modern day context.
In El Segundo, CA, right next to LAX, there is a Chevron refinery. El Segundo got its name because at the time of its founding, it was Standard Oil's second refinery. A few streets over from the refinery is Standard Street upon which a local sports bar is called Standard Station. So, yes, I have been to a Standard Station
The fact that "Esso" is just the acronym of Standard Oil spelled differently is just...it hits really hard :D. It reminds me of the Formula 1 Team Torro Rosso which is just Red Bull, but Italian - and way more obvious if you look at it. Thanks for the cool video =)
There was a Standard Oil of Ohio, too. It was renamed Sohio and I remember it from life in Ohio. It merged with BP in the 1980s and the gas stations were rebranded as BP America. They keep the Sohio name in use at marinas for stations selling fuel for boats. The Wikipedia page hints that the Standard Oil name is also kept in use there and in state parks. Bowling Green, KY has a restored Standard Oil station dating back to 1921.
What's interesting here is that brreaking up Standard actually worked and they actually chose to diversify and compete against one another. If something like this were broken up today, problems with the trademark would probably be used as a reason why they couldn't compete in one another's territory, like how AT&T/Verison keep to their turfs and airlines get worse in a surprisingly synchronised fashion.
SO and Ma Bell managed to merge many of the companies regulators forced to split up. DOJ and FTC are still being way too influenced by Wall Street lobbyists. How about Make Regulators Powerful Again instead?
Well, AT&T Corporation had to divest its regional Bell Operating Companies into seven Baby Bells: BellSouth, Ameritech, Pacific Telesis, Southwestern Bell, Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, and US West. AT&T continued to operate long-distance services. Later, Southwestern Bell acquired Pacific Telesis and Ameriech and renamed itself to SBC. Then, SBC purchased its former parent, AT&T, and BellSouth and renamed itself to AT&T. Bell Atlantic acquired NYNEX and later GTE to form Verizon. US West merged with Qwest and later CenturyLink to form Lumen Technologies.
My grandpa and great grandpa owned and operated a Standard gas station way back when. It was originally opened in 1953 in Colorado. They continued to sell gas through at least the late 1960s, when they switched to just a repair shop and dropped the Standard name. They remained in business (without selling gas) until 2015 when my uncle passed away, and the building was renovated and turned into a farm to table restaurant. It's actually pretty cool what they've done with it. My sister and I requested to keep the signs from out front, and learned that they were the original Standard Oil signs, just turned around backwards and the new non-Standard branding painted on the back of them. Also stuffed into the rafters when they closed up shop was the sideboards for their old shop truck, and I have those too.
I've lived in SF and passed by that Chevron, uh I mean Standard countless times but never noticed it was a Standard. Fascinating. Thanks so much for that.
I've passed by that station countless times, too, and, while I knew it was a “Standard,” I just figured it was one of those corporate branding variations like Hellmann's/Best Foods east and west of the Rockies, respectively.
Van Ness and Pine I always figured it was some Standard Oil relic chicanery. Nice to hear where the Esso name came from. Did a 🤦 because I never thought of that.
Love it! I had heard the story about Chevron pissing in the corner in order to continue claim the "Standard" brand. Living in SF, I have even gotten stuck having to buy gas at this very Standard station. It isn't the cheapest station in SF. But, I can say I got gas from a Standard station.
I learned about this legal fact several years ago, but not with Standard/Chevron, but with Super America/Speedway. The last Super America store in Kentucky is at the corner of Tates Creek Rd and Mailibu Dr in Lexington, KY, still using the last logo it had before it merged with Speedway in the late 1990s.
I live in the Bay Area and every time I'm in San Francisco and happen to drive by this gas station, I always think about why it exists. I explained it to a group of friends the other day and they were kind of impressed 😅
The word 'standard' had different connotations back then. IRC its original meaning was a kind of battle flag. Over time, it came to suggests something more like 'stand-out' and from there morphed into setting the bar and then downgraded into typical.
@@ronfleming8775 I'm a well read and decently educated 46 year old man who is very familiar with the several meanings of standard. It was a joke, a "pun" if you will, playing on these varied meanings. This MIGHT explain the "winky face" I gave. Thanks though?
I knew about this for years, and having driven past that station countless times I recognized it right away from your thumbnail... Still watched the whole thing cuz I love your quirky way of presenting things.
I remember when the Amoco stations in Indiana still carried the Standard branding over the Amoco torch. It was that way into the early 80s at least. (And every time I pass the station in Bellevue I always check to see if it's still a Standard!)
It's quite fascinating how you can make basically a paragraph of a text into a whole video that's interesting and funny throughout. Thank you. I'm not even American but it was still interesting.
Hard to believe that many of the stations we use were once all Standard. They were everywhere in Australia in the 70's, and Exxon/Mobil still uses the name quite a bit.
Such a random topic, I love it. My Dad was a Chevron station owner and mechanic all his life. I grew up around it and worked at the station store in high school (30 years ago when gas was $0.97/ gallon). My name-embroidered Chevron mechanic uniform shirt remains one of my prized possessions. If only it still fit... 😂
We have something similar here in Germany. The Gas Station brand DEA was closed down in the early 2000s, but there was still ONE operating in the late 2010s, to keep the trademark. I've only recently read, that this gas station also closed down and was demolished. Interesting story though!
Another spontaneous example from Germany, but from the financial industry. When Commerzbank took over Dresdner Bank, all but one of the bank branches were renamed. Dresdner Bank was once the third-largest German bank (in terms of total assets). It was (also) done to retain trademark rights
This is the perfect representation of what it feels like to go down a rabbit hole with your friends on something you just learned about that no person would normally care for.
That's amazing!! I happen to live in Beaverton, OR with my girlfriend and we visit her parents up in Bellevue, WA every so often. We have definitely passed by both of the Standard Stations without any knowledge of the history. But now will keep it in mind whenever we go!
Poland’s Orlen also has two gas stations that use two old brands for trademark protection purposes. What’s more interesting is that one of those stations had the modern brand up until 2018, so it was a rebranding; the other station was either rebranded or possibly even built from scratch under the old brand (also in 2018).
7:48 Stockton Tunnel in San Francisco 7:51 Sacramento Street 7:56 Fairmont Hotel 7:58 Sacramento Street between Mason and Jones 8:06 Sacramento Street and Polk Street 8:09 Van Ness Avenue between Sacramento and California 8:15 Van Ness Avenue and California Street
"Its perfect!"...except for that price! $5.59?!?!! I bought a hybrid, so its been a while since I've been to a gas station! Wonderful episode- not just about Chevron/Standard, but branding, and our perception (or lack thereof).
Old brand names come and go - I work at the British Motor Museum and most of the vehicle brands (Austin, Morris, Triumph, Standard too!) we display are now defunct. What were once household names are now little known apart from enthusiasts and those who were alive when they were on the road.
6:30 We have always had Esso stations in Canada for as long as I can remember - the name was a bit weird but I never really thought about it. Then when I eventually saw the prominent Esso station in the French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) I began to assume that the name came from the French word "essence" which means gas or petrol. But then later on in life when I discovered it stood for Eastern States Standard Oil I went down the Standard Oil rabbit hole 😵💫
I always get a kick out of seeing Sinclair Oil signs these days. That dinosaur is iconic. But this also reminded me of when my friend told me to stop at a Kum & Go when I traveled across Iowa for their soda slushies. I did, and I got the shirt too!
There's a Sinclair gas station by me! It might be the only one I've ever seen, but vaguely feel like I've passed by a few others. Anyway, love that little dino icon too!
I've never had Sinclair stations around where I live, but had seen them on vacation as a kid. Sinclair was the name of the family on the Jim Henson's Dinosaurs sitcom, and the dad's boss was B.P. Richfield.
Great video ❤. In St. Louis we have a locally famous old Amaco gas station that has a HUGE sign from the 1960s. Drive by it all the time. Have a great day Phil! ❤
Great video! I knew that companies like Exxon and Amoco were remnants of Standard Oil, but I didn’t know that Chevron was its continuation. Amazing stuff! ❤
I knew that I had seen the Standard gas station in Phoenix before!!! I recognized it immediately from David's video -- it is down the street from where I went to high school. I've driven past it thousands of times, pretty sure I even asked my parents and one point why it was called Standard and they had no idea
All of the daughter oil companies of Standard Oil maintained Standard stations in their own logo. You see less of them as they have recombined. I can remember not too many years ago an Amoco styled sign labeled Standard. Exxon always kept a few Esso stations as Esso was simply the pronunciation of S.O. for Standard Oil.
"When light breaks upon her face I never thought such beauty I might see" Holy Christ, is that original or a quotation? I don't care if it's about a gas station...it's incredibly moving! (I actually had to pause the video to give that statement the thought it deserves.) ❤
There is a standard gas station in AL but it uses a WAYYY older logo and is like a 1940s-1950s museum on the inside and is still a functional gas station i think its in trussville As for modern one there is a standard that is closed in russelville al but the sign changed to a chevron logo but it still says standard above the gas pumps on the roof.
Intriguing and hilarious, as always. I didn't know much about the S.O. breakup, so this was very informative. I'll be on the lookout for these stations in the future
Similar thing happened with the branding when Ma Bell was broken up. Look at many of the "Baby Bells": Bell Atlantic, Bell South, Pacific Bell, etc. In Maryland and Virginia, we had C&P Telephone* which became Bell Atlantic which became Verizon. *Chesapeake and Patomac.
Well, it's always nice to have a hobby... 🤓 Great job, Phil! And PLEASE tell me that the sign falling at 5:15 was actually a spontaneous occurrence. Because that would be solid proof that there is Actual Good in the world.
If you want to do more old school gas stations that are still alive, cross the Bay to Sinclair station in Oakland next to Alameda. It even has the old brontosaurus logo.
It's kinda wild to me that I've somehow actually been to THREE of the Standards on the map, and never realized it was different than any other Chevron. Really cool!
Reminds me of the story of the Burger King in Mahoots, Illinois. It was there prior to the chain, and won a trademark case where the franchise, to this day, cannot open a store within 20 mi of that family run restaurant.
just wanted to let ya know - i made a short about this! thanks. th-cam.com/users/shorts_DOItMo4xao (though apparently when I say "muh-toon" it's supposed to be "mahttoon".). But yeah - thanks for the cool tip!
@@PhilEdwardsIncvideo came up on my feed randomly today and I just saw this comment So glad to help and also see how you tell the story in your unique style
The irony of Standard Oil is, Rockefeller, already the riches man in the world at the time of the Standard Trust breakup owned large shares in all of the new companies and become multi time richer due to the Standard Oil and Trust breakup.
And everyone wanted to buy them which made him go from being really rich to being super crazy rich. I read a book about JD Rockefeller years ago and one of the few things I still remember is how the break up made him the world's first billionaire.
Here's maybe the most weird association someone could have from this video: I'm reminded of Bosnian Bill, locksmith and lockpicker who likes disassembling locks. For every pin he removes, he states what it is, and for a low grade lock he will say: "Standard! Standard! Standard!" as each pin is a standard pin, as opposed to a security pin.
I'm glad you got a pilgrimage out the way of your life Phil, good for you Also the sign falling when you mention who's created an epoch... Ah that's so... C'est la vie, and very "Hallmark Phil video moment" 8:21 where I live (North and South of Canada) for that gas cost I can get 2.2 something gallons... Granted I also live near a refinery, and an international line on a map
I love how at 9:45 Phil says "I thought I would just stop at this RANDOM park" (San Francisco's very famous Alamo Square) and then say "San Francisco's most iconic landmark, the Standard gas station." Classic Phil. Love it!
Actually, the whole standard oil/Rockefeller story is intriguing, how someone became filthy rich of a product that was once discarded, and that had such an impact on our society, for the better and the worse, because it not only caused progression in many ways, but also managed to poison our planet by doing so. Also the fact that the republican Roosevelt tackled this trust because he saw it as a threat, is fascinating, many contemporary politicians could take lessons from this. Thanks for the story and upload.
This is classic Phil Edwards. I always look forward to another interesting stroll through 20th century history. BTW, thanks for recommending Faultline. It is an excellent channel.
When I lived in Chicago about 25 years ago, they're was one BP/Amoco station that was Standard branded. It had the Amoco torch, but the word Standard in it.
In the first 5 seconds of the video, I thought you were going to that station in LA (Mobil by the Beverly Center) that has abnormally high gas prices that news stations and newspapers always use to highlight how crazy California gas prices are.
I believe the Standard Gas Station in Alabama is in Russellville. At least that’s what Google maps shows me. But it’s labeled as “Temporarily Closed”. I live an hour away, perhaps it’s time for a road trip. 😂
you mad genius this is it: www.google.com/local/place/fid/0x887d5879bc4c7abb:0xf8d4e7edc66973e0/photosphere?iu=streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?panoid%3DVqLaBEWxFlHjiT7jvilXgg%26cb_client%3Dlu.gallery.gps%26w%3D160%26h%3D106%26yaw%3D147.89052%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100&ik=CAISFlZxTGFCRVd4RmxIamlUN2p2aWxYZ2c%3D i just don't know if it's still open!
Was curious to know more about the history of standard oil and why they were broken up. Guess I'll have to wait for an episode of the Well There's Your Problem Podcast for it.
Yeah I was tempted but felt there was enough in the naming history that i could add value in. i read this a million years ago and remember little, but it was good:
I got gas at that Standard in Frisco last year. I was 2000km from home, I assumed it was a California thing to have Standard stations. 🤷 I didn't realize it was the only one in the state! I worked at Chevron here in British Columbia (I'm not aware of the Chevron name being used anywhere in eastern Canada) twenty something years ago as a teen. The Standard name was seen on various paperwork and whatnot, so I already had the two connected in my head and it wasn't a real surprise to find a station under that name. In Canada, Standard Oil was bought by Imperial Oil, but both names persisted on paper until quite recently when they got out of the retail game and sold the whole Chevron chain to Parkland Fuels.
Here in New Zealand Standard Oil of California is named Caltex instead of Chevron, so they are really hedging with these names. Funny that two big rival states share a trademark in California-Texas.
Levi's does something similar. In order to keep their trademark on the red tab itself, they sell jeans that only have the red tab without Levi's written on it.
I like how your name plaque just says "content." I'm gonna take the optimistic view and say it means you're just pretty content with how your lifes going right now.
I work in Midland, TX and I am a delivery driver for fuels and lubricants. Our biggest vendor is Chevron. I will definitely be paying more attention if anything with the Standard name rolls in and be stopping at the Standard station.
Four Seasons Marina in Cincinnati, Ohio, is still flying SOHIO (Standard Oil Co of Ohio) although the pump is branded Invigorate in current BP trade dress. If you look up BP's support for renewing the trademark with USPTO, you can see a photo of the sign at the marina in their support for the last renewal.
Whoa, I’ve lived in SF for 25 years and not only driven by the Standard gas station on Van Ness but filled up there many a time and NEVER noticed it was a Standard Oil. Lol. Great video, Phil!
What an interesting video. Reminds me of the time I visited the only Highland-branded petrol station on the Isle of Skye (located in Staffin) a few months back.
The Standard Oil station in Alabama has been found! It's not in Birmingham but in a little town called Russellville, near the intersection of AL-24 and US 43. The pole sign reads "Chevron" but the canopy has "Standard" word mark in its current font.
I started to watch this without knowing when it was recorded/posted. As a SF native and current Bay Area resident, I wasn't sure what you were going to find at that location. It had closed down sometime during Covid and while the MUNI Transportation on was gutting Van Ness to put in new transit stops. So it was holding on with hope that it was reopened and still a Standard, although having filled my tank up there often, I couldn't tell you which one it was. Because I always thought all locations were Chevron. Great story.
I was looking for old gas stations that had the classic 5 section design with small cash register room, garage, two tiny bathrooms that opened to the outside and small office/storeroom in the back. From the 50's they are rare today.
Not something I needed to know. But again, I'm absolutely better for it. Esso = SO, my mind is BLOWN! I always thought it was a weird name, but now I know why. It was right there! Thank you.
Sorry you had to travel so far to see something I live (literally) less than a mile from. But despite all the times I've passed it, I never knew its unique story!
I used to work for Chevron as a tanker driver in the mid-90's. I delivered gas to the location in Milwaukee, OR many times when it was the sole Standard-branded station in that state. My first time there, I immediately noticed the branding and asked the other drivers about it. Nobody really knew the reason, or at least they couldn't (or wouldn't?) explain it well. They seemed to think it was more like the station's owner/operator had some kind of special deal that allowed them to keep it... like they wanted it that way, something along those lines. Nobody I talked to knew about the Chevron corp. keeping the Standard trademark alive.
![แฉกลโกงงานวัด 2024 [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.106 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/taC5dpP3HXA/mqdefault.jpg)
This is where the map shall forever live: www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1_TIbdJ2GSkbXzU4rCEKEvt-kcR2tOwc&usp=sharing
I'll update it if I get more stations!
9:48 yeah near the painted ladies.
hopefully you got to see san francisco's new muni station yerba buena & chinatown-rose pak, and the electrification of CalTrain
Standard oil never really died, but its branding was entirely rebadged besides these few exceptional stations!
For those wondering, 7 of the 13 stations on the map are marked on Google maps as Standard stations from overhead, with many of those also marked as Chevron. The other 6 only have Chevron tags.
Idaho weirdly enough has a newly built second Standard station at 4870 N Ten Mile Rd. in Meridian. Like the one at 3200 W. State in Boise it has Chevron pumps, but the signage is all Standard.
Big shout-out to Dick's 63 years of work on his gas station, must mean the world to him. Love hearing the stories of elderly people.
I love coming across genuine service stations that are owner operated. Such a rarity anymore.
Was he aware of the Standard branding? He referred to his station as a "Chevron".
@@GearsDatPowerDaTubes I've discovered through looking at licenses that individual gas stations have names. So he probably picked that name since the main brand that people are familiar with these days is Chevron.
@@robinmichel9048 There's a full-service Citgo station near me that's celebrating its 70th year being owned and operated by the same family.
Props to the Atlanta guy for his small blurb on the highway that was planned to go through the Va-Hi neighborhood. A little piece of history that you don't hear about enough
So fitting that the hipster chevron lives in the most hipster neighborhood in the city…
People thought I was crazy for stopping at the Standard station in Lake Worth, FL to take pictures of a gas station. Thanks for explaining how that happened.
good call!!! i did have a guy come talk to me while i was filming - he was also mystified!
I live in an old Standard Oil company town. The city is literally named after the refinery. It was their second refinery in California. So they named it “The Second” in Spanish. Thats how we got El Segundo, California.
i had no idea
@@PhilEdwardsIncnow you do
I left my wallet in el segundo
Was it your second wallet?
the travel montage joke made this video greater than standard
And then ending the video in a "random park" while talking about landmarks.
I had a real "wait, what?" moment the first time I encountered one of these Standard branded stations. It was the first time I'd driven down into the US. I believe it was the same Bellevue, WA location on your map. The most disconcerting thing for me was that it used the contemporary Chevron graphic logo and typeface. I've seen closed/abandoned Standard stations here in Canada with remnants of old branding, but it's not something I anticipated seeing in a modern day context.
i wish i could have just randomly seen it i think i would have been even more mystified!
In El Segundo, CA, right next to LAX, there is a Chevron refinery. El Segundo got its name because at the time of its founding, it was Standard Oil's second refinery. A few streets over from the refinery is Standard Street upon which a local sports bar is called Standard Station. So, yes, I have been to a Standard Station
haha google kept sending me to this bar
The fact that "Esso" is just the acronym of Standard Oil spelled differently is just...it hits really hard :D. It reminds me of the Formula 1 Team Torro Rosso which is just Red Bull, but Italian - and way more obvious if you look at it. Thanks for the cool video =)
Thanks for making me realise having a Chevron across the street from an Esso is weird.
Phil - my favorite part of your style is that it imparts a sincere feeling that you are living your best life and I am happy to witness it.
There was a Standard Oil of Ohio, too. It was renamed Sohio and I remember it from life in Ohio. It merged with BP in the 1980s and the gas stations were rebranded as BP America. They keep the Sohio name in use at marinas for stations selling fuel for boats. The Wikipedia page hints that the Standard Oil name is also kept in use there and in state parks. Bowling Green, KY has a restored Standard Oil station dating back to 1921.
What's interesting here is that brreaking up Standard actually worked and they actually chose to diversify and compete against one another. If something like this were broken up today, problems with the trademark would probably be used as a reason why they couldn't compete in one another's territory, like how AT&T/Verison keep to their turfs and airlines get worse in a surprisingly synchronised fashion.
SO and Ma Bell managed to merge many of the companies regulators forced to split up. DOJ and FTC are still being way too influenced by Wall Street lobbyists. How about Make Regulators Powerful Again instead?
Well, AT&T Corporation had to divest its regional Bell Operating Companies into seven Baby Bells: BellSouth, Ameritech, Pacific Telesis, Southwestern Bell, Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, and US West. AT&T continued to operate long-distance services. Later, Southwestern Bell acquired Pacific Telesis and Ameriech and renamed itself to SBC. Then, SBC purchased its former parent, AT&T, and BellSouth and renamed itself to AT&T. Bell Atlantic acquired NYNEX and later GTE to form Verizon. US West merged with Qwest and later CenturyLink to form Lumen Technologies.
My grandpa and great grandpa owned and operated a Standard gas station way back when. It was originally opened in 1953 in Colorado. They continued to sell gas through at least the late 1960s, when they switched to just a repair shop and dropped the Standard name. They remained in business (without selling gas) until 2015 when my uncle passed away, and the building was renovated and turned into a farm to table restaurant. It's actually pretty cool what they've done with it. My sister and I requested to keep the signs from out front, and learned that they were the original Standard Oil signs, just turned around backwards and the new non-Standard branding painted on the back of them. Also stuffed into the rafters when they closed up shop was the sideboards for their old shop truck, and I have those too.
I've lived in SF and passed by that Chevron, uh I mean Standard countless times but never noticed it was a Standard. Fascinating. Thanks so much for that.
I've passed by that station countless times, too, and, while I knew it was a “Standard,” I just figured it was one of those corporate branding variations like Hellmann's/Best Foods east and west of the Rockies, respectively.
Van Ness and Pine
I always figured it was some Standard Oil relic chicanery.
Nice to hear where the Esso name came from. Did a 🤦 because I never thought of that.
Love it! I had heard the story about Chevron pissing in the corner in order to continue claim the "Standard" brand. Living in SF, I have even gotten stuck having to buy gas at this very Standard station. It isn't the cheapest station in SF. But, I can say I got gas from a Standard station.
“San Francisco’s most iconic landmark - the Standard Gas Station” is honestly such an American thing to say 😂
Especially as he was standing/blocking the Painted Ladies in San Francisco.
and yet all americans agree with that exact sentiment, crazy
no doubt :)@@PhilEdwardsInc
Okay so if that's the most American thing, what do you think about Texans willingness to fight over buckees?
Inability to understand humor is honestly such a TH-cam comment section thing.
I learned about this legal fact several years ago, but not with Standard/Chevron, but with Super America/Speedway. The last Super America store in Kentucky is at the corner of Tates Creek Rd and Mailibu Dr in Lexington, KY, still using the last logo it had before it merged with Speedway in the late 1990s.
I live in the Bay Area and every time I'm in San Francisco and happen to drive by this gas station, I always think about why it exists. I explained it to a group of friends the other day and they were kind of impressed 😅
Dude, it's not something special, it's standard. You made a whole video about this? 😏 Thanks Phil.
The word 'standard' had different connotations back then. IRC its original meaning was a kind of battle flag. Over time, it came to suggests something more like 'stand-out' and from there morphed into setting the bar and then downgraded into typical.
@@ronfleming8775seriously?
@@dakf660It makes sense when you think of phrases like “gold standard”.
@@dakf660 standard bearer
@@ronfleming8775 I'm a well read and decently educated 46 year old man who is very familiar with the several meanings of standard. It was a joke, a "pun" if you will, playing on these varied meanings. This MIGHT explain the "winky face" I gave. Thanks though?
I knew about this for years, and having driven past that station countless times I recognized it right away from your thumbnail... Still watched the whole thing cuz I love your quirky way of presenting things.
I remember when the Amoco stations in Indiana still carried the Standard branding over the Amoco torch. It was that way into the early 80s at least. (And every time I pass the station in Bellevue I always check to see if it's still a Standard!)
It's quite fascinating how you can make basically a paragraph of a text into a whole video that's interesting and funny throughout. Thank you. I'm not even American but it was still interesting.
Hard to believe that many of the stations we use were once all Standard. They were everywhere in Australia in the 70's, and Exxon/Mobil still uses the name quite a bit.
This has changed my life forever; I doubt I'll ever stop looking to see if the random Chevron I stop at isn't really a Standard.
Such a random topic, I love it.
My Dad was a Chevron station owner and mechanic all his life. I grew up around it and worked at the station store in high school (30 years ago when gas was $0.97/ gallon). My name-embroidered Chevron mechanic uniform shirt remains one of my prized possessions. If only it still fit... 😂
We have something similar here in Germany. The Gas Station brand DEA was closed down in the early 2000s, but there was still ONE operating in the late 2010s, to keep the trademark. I've only recently read, that this gas station also closed down and was demolished. Interesting story though!
Another spontaneous example from Germany, but from the financial industry. When Commerzbank took over Dresdner Bank, all but one of the bank branches were renamed. Dresdner Bank was once the third-largest German bank (in terms of total assets). It was (also) done to retain trademark rights
the best thing about that Story is: they moved it and there is still that one last DEA but at a different location
@@enisra_bowman Oh really? I thought the Haltern location was the last one. Nice to know! I still remember the commercial jingles!
@@GiladPellaeon the "new" one is in Lichtenfels, only that it's flagged as Shell on Maps, but, thanks to Streetview you can look at it
This is the perfect representation of what it feels like to go down a rabbit hole with your friends on something you just learned about that no person would normally care for.
That's amazing!! I happen to live in Beaverton, OR with my girlfriend and we visit her parents up in Bellevue, WA every so often. We have definitely passed by both of the Standard Stations without any knowledge of the history. But now will keep it in mind whenever we go!
Poland’s Orlen also has two gas stations that use two old brands for trademark protection purposes. What’s more interesting is that one of those stations had the modern brand up until 2018, so it was a rebranding; the other station was either rebranded or possibly even built from scratch under the old brand (also in 2018).
7:48 Stockton Tunnel in San Francisco
7:51 Sacramento Street
7:56 Fairmont Hotel
7:58 Sacramento Street between Mason and Jones
8:06 Sacramento Street and Polk Street
8:09 Van Ness Avenue between Sacramento and California
8:15 Van Ness Avenue and California Street
"Its perfect!"...except for that price! $5.59?!?!! I bought a hybrid, so its been a while since I've been to a gas station! Wonderful episode- not just about Chevron/Standard, but branding, and our perception (or lack thereof).
Old brand names come and go - I work at the British Motor Museum and most of the vehicle brands (Austin, Morris, Triumph, Standard too!) we display are now defunct.
What were once household names are now little known apart from enthusiasts and those who were alive when they were on the road.
6:30 We have always had Esso stations in Canada for as long as I can remember - the name was a bit weird but I never really thought about it. Then when I eventually saw the prominent Esso station in the French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) I began to assume that the name came from the French word "essence" which means gas or petrol. But then later on in life when I discovered it stood for Eastern States Standard Oil I went down the Standard Oil rabbit hole 😵💫
Phil, you are my favorite kind of a weirdo. Please never stop making these videos.
Phil, thank you for this journey. I didn't expect to be so intrigued about a gas station.
What they did to Standard needs doing to loads of companies today! Microsoft, Amazon, United health group, McKesson etc. all basically monopolies
Wild.. I got gas at the Chevron on Van Ness in SF yesterday, and thought about how the sign said Standard. You just saved me a Google search. Thanks!
I always get a kick out of seeing Sinclair Oil signs these days. That dinosaur is iconic.
But this also reminded me of when my friend told me to stop at a Kum & Go when I traveled across Iowa for their soda slushies. I did, and I got the shirt too!
There's a Sinclair gas station by me! It might be the only one I've ever seen, but vaguely feel like I've passed by a few others. Anyway, love that little dino icon too!
i am a big dino fan as well
I've never had Sinclair stations around where I live, but had seen them on vacation as a kid. Sinclair was the name of the family on the Jim Henson's Dinosaurs sitcom, and the dad's boss was B.P. Richfield.
Great video ❤.
In St. Louis we have a locally famous old Amaco gas station that has a HUGE sign from the 1960s. Drive by it all the time.
Have a great day Phil! ❤
As a San Franciscan, I hope the freshly updated Van Ness Ave. worked out for you. It was a long time in the making.
The sign falling after the epoch bit is just ::chef’s kiss::
that sign has a mind of its own
Woah, so strange to see a video about the gas station around the corner from me! Thanks for the video, I was always so curious about it.
Great video! I knew that companies like Exxon and Amoco were remnants of Standard Oil, but I didn’t know that Chevron was its continuation. Amazing stuff! ❤
If you're curious about more Standard Oil successor companies, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Successors_of_Standard_Oil
I knew that I had seen the Standard gas station in Phoenix before!!! I recognized it immediately from David's video -- it is down the street from where I went to high school. I've driven past it thousands of times, pretty sure I even asked my parents and one point why it was called Standard and they had no idea
I adore Phil, but now I think I love him. Great video, the editing was amazing!
All of the daughter oil companies of Standard Oil maintained Standard stations in their own logo. You see less of them as they have recombined. I can remember not too many years ago an Amoco styled sign labeled Standard. Exxon always kept a few Esso stations as Esso was simply the pronunciation of S.O. for Standard Oil.
"When light breaks upon her face I never thought such beauty I might see"
Holy Christ, is that original or a quotation?
I don't care if it's about a gas station...it's incredibly moving!
(I actually had to pause the video to give that statement the thought it deserves.) ❤
just inspired by the moment
@@PhilEdwardsInc There is a poet in you, my friend. 👏
There is a standard gas station in AL but it uses a WAYYY older logo and is like a 1940s-1950s museum on the inside and is still a functional gas station i think its in trussville
As for modern one there is a standard that is closed in russelville al but the sign changed to a chevron logo but it still says standard above the gas pumps on the roof.
haha i was haunted by this one in my search
What??? I’ve lived in Lake Worth Beach all my life and never knew my humble little town was the home of the only Standard Gas Station in Florida!!
time to pay homage
Intriguing and hilarious, as always. I didn't know much about the S.O. breakup, so this was very informative. I'll be on the lookout for these stations in the future
Similar thing happened with the branding when Ma Bell was broken up. Look at many of the "Baby Bells": Bell Atlantic, Bell South, Pacific Bell, etc.
In Maryland and Virginia, we had C&P Telephone* which became Bell Atlantic which became Verizon. *Chesapeake and Patomac.
@@JV-pu8kx And Now Southwestern Bell , aka SBC, now owns the AT&T brand.
Well, it's always nice to have a hobby... 🤓 Great job, Phil! And PLEASE tell me that the sign falling at 5:15 was actually a spontaneous occurrence. Because that would be solid proof that there is Actual Good in the world.
coincidence! though it did end up falling like two more times haha. i am bad at tape
@@PhilEdwardsInc May be, but you couldn't have asked for better timing!
If you want to do more old school gas stations that are still alive, cross the Bay to Sinclair station in Oakland next to Alameda. It even has the old brontosaurus logo.
Minnesota has a gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. That’s worth traveling to see.
oh really? i had no idea, this is hilarious. www.atlasobscura.com/places/frank-lloyd-wright-gas-station
Can always count on Phil to bring you these weird niche stories, long may they continue! 😊
Phil's title is "Content". Phil is Content. Seems accurate.
It's kinda wild to me that I've somehow actually been to THREE of the Standards on the map, and never realized it was different than any other Chevron. Really cool!
jealous
Reminds me of the story of the Burger King in Mahoots, Illinois. It was there prior to the chain, and won a trademark case where the franchise, to this day, cannot open a store within 20 mi of that family run restaurant.
had never heard of this - great story!
just wanted to let ya know - i made a short about this! thanks.
th-cam.com/users/shorts_DOItMo4xao
(though apparently when I say "muh-toon" it's supposed to be "mahttoon".). But yeah - thanks for the cool tip!
@@PhilEdwardsIncvideo came up on my feed randomly today and I just saw this comment So glad to help and also see how you tell the story in your unique style
Enjoyed searching this out for you. What an interesting story
The irony of Standard Oil is, Rockefeller, already the riches man in the world at the time of the Standard Trust breakup owned large shares in all of the new companies and become multi time richer due to the Standard Oil and Trust breakup.
And everyone wanted to buy them which made him go from being really rich to being super crazy rich. I read a book about JD Rockefeller years ago and one of the few things I still remember is how the break up made him the world's first billionaire.
Here's maybe the most weird association someone could have from this video: I'm reminded of Bosnian Bill, locksmith and lockpicker who likes disassembling locks. For every pin he removes, he states what it is, and for a low grade lock he will say: "Standard! Standard! Standard!" as each pin is a standard pin, as opposed to a security pin.
This the standard type of content I expect from Mr. Edwards.
I'm glad you got a pilgrimage out the way of your life Phil, good for you
Also the sign falling when you mention who's created an epoch... Ah that's so...
C'est la vie, and very "Hallmark Phil video moment"
8:21 where I live (North and South of Canada) for that gas cost I can get 2.2 something gallons...
Granted I also live near a refinery, and an international line on a map
I live in Texas, where a lot of US oil comes from, and when I saw those prices I was like... YIKES!! \
thats california for ya lol. I think the cheapest i have seen recently is like 4.90 something and that was at costco
I love how at 9:45 Phil says "I thought I would just stop at this RANDOM park" (San Francisco's very famous Alamo Square) and then say "San Francisco's most iconic landmark, the Standard gas station." Classic Phil. Love it!
Actually, the whole standard oil/Rockefeller story is intriguing, how someone became filthy rich of a product that was once discarded, and that had such an impact on our society, for the better and the worse, because it not only caused progression in many ways, but also managed to poison our planet by doing so. Also the fact that the republican Roosevelt tackled this trust because he saw it as a threat, is fascinating, many contemporary politicians could take lessons from this. Thanks for the story and upload.
Algorithmic punch!
Quite a gas, this video
This is classic Phil Edwards. I always look forward to another interesting stroll through 20th century history. BTW, thanks for recommending Faultline. It is an excellent channel.
Ed's Standard Service in Durand Michigan (220 N Saginaw St) is still around - looking on Google maps they use both the Standard torch and BP signs.
When I lived in Chicago about 25 years ago, they're was one BP/Amoco station that was Standard branded. It had the Amoco torch, but the word Standard in it.
Excellent. I could see this happening to Disney.
Phil Edwards: Content ... love it
In the first 5 seconds of the video, I thought you were going to that station in LA (Mobil by the Beverly Center) that has abnormally high gas prices that news stations and newspapers always use to highlight how crazy California gas prices are.
that's a funny idea actually
I believe the Standard Gas Station in Alabama is in Russellville. At least that’s what Google maps shows me. But it’s labeled as “Temporarily Closed”. I live an hour away, perhaps it’s time for a road trip. 😂
you mad genius this is it: www.google.com/local/place/fid/0x887d5879bc4c7abb:0xf8d4e7edc66973e0/photosphere?iu=streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?panoid%3DVqLaBEWxFlHjiT7jvilXgg%26cb_client%3Dlu.gallery.gps%26w%3D160%26h%3D106%26yaw%3D147.89052%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100&ik=CAISFlZxTGFCRVd4RmxIamlUN2p2aWxYZ2c%3D
i just don't know if it's still open!
Glad I'm not the only one who's really interested in the regionalities of gas stations lol
There was a Texaco in the Netherlands. It was funny
lol
Banger
🫡
Was curious to know more about the history of standard oil and why they were broken up. Guess I'll have to wait for an episode of the Well There's Your Problem Podcast for it.
Yeah I was tempted but felt there was enough in the naming history that i could add value in. i read this a million years ago and remember little, but it was good:
www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1400077303?nodl=1&dplnkId=dcc1086e-6bc0-46c6-a8a8-f5197eeaf7b0
I got gas at that Standard in Frisco last year. I was 2000km from home, I assumed it was a California thing to have Standard stations. 🤷 I didn't realize it was the only one in the state!
I worked at Chevron here in British Columbia (I'm not aware of the Chevron name being used anywhere in eastern Canada) twenty something years ago as a teen. The Standard name was seen on various paperwork and whatnot, so I already had the two connected in my head and it wasn't a real surprise to find a station under that name.
In Canada, Standard Oil was bought by Imperial Oil, but both names persisted on paper until quite recently when they got out of the retail game and sold the whole Chevron chain to Parkland Fuels.
Here in New Zealand Standard Oil of California is named Caltex instead of Chevron, so they are really hedging with these names. Funny that two big rival states share a trademark in California-Texas.
Levi's does something similar. In order to keep their trademark on the red tab itself, they sell jeans that only have the red tab without Levi's written on it.
oh that's funny i never heard of that
I'm so glad that I taught you something for a change! Thanks for the reply and entertaining videos ☺️
I like how your name plaque just says "content." I'm gonna take the optimistic view and say it means you're just pretty content with how your lifes going right now.
That's it, tomorrow I'm driving by the Boise station and paying attention.
Haha, this is so well made Phil!
highly recommend these gas stations if you ever do a tour of the states
@@PhilEdwardsInc been there many times but yet to do a gas station tour… I’ll add it to the bucket list
I work in Midland, TX and I am a delivery driver for fuels and lubricants. Our biggest vendor is Chevron. I will definitely be paying more attention if anything with the Standard name rolls in and be stopping at the Standard station.
Just wait until he finds out about the Amoco stations with the Standard branding…🤯
Please, Phil Edwards, never, ever, ever, say "Frisco" town...ever again.
i just copy what i hear every local say, without fail
Four Seasons Marina in Cincinnati, Ohio, is still flying SOHIO (Standard Oil Co of Ohio) although the pump is branded Invigorate in current BP trade dress. If you look up BP's support for renewing the trademark with USPTO, you can see a photo of the sign at the marina in their support for the last renewal.
Whoa, I’ve lived in SF for 25 years and not only driven by the Standard gas station on Van Ness but filled up there many a time and NEVER noticed it was a Standard Oil. Lol. Great video, Phil!
What an interesting video. Reminds me of the time I visited the only Highland-branded petrol station on the Isle of Skye (located in Staffin) a few months back.
The Standard Oil station in Alabama has been found! It's not in Birmingham but in a little town called Russellville, near the intersection of AL-24 and US 43. The pole sign reads "Chevron" but the canopy has "Standard" word mark in its current font.
I started to watch this without knowing when it was recorded/posted. As a SF native and current Bay Area resident, I wasn't sure what you were going to find at that location. It had closed down sometime during Covid and while the MUNI Transportation on was gutting Van Ness to put in new transit stops. So it was holding on with hope that it was reopened and still a Standard, although having filled my tank up there often, I couldn't tell you which one it was. Because I always thought all locations were Chevron. Great story.
I was looking for old gas stations that had the classic 5 section design with small cash register room, garage, two tiny bathrooms that opened to the outside and small office/storeroom in the back. From the 50's they are rare today.
A love letter to a gas station. God, I love this channel. 🤣😍
Shit. That Beaverton one is like 10 minutes away. I guess I'm having a mini road trip.
Tbh, gas stations themselves are bizarre constructions. An open area with a place to put Dino juice in a moving machine.
only problem is "dino juice" kinda makes it more appealing to me
Not something I needed to know. But again, I'm absolutely better for it. Esso = SO, my mind is BLOWN! I always thought it was a weird name, but now I know why. It was right there! Thank you.
I never knew the ESSO thing before this video either! mind also blown.
@@PhilEdwardsIncit's so weird. It's right there. It's in the name. It IS the name. It's like finding the FEDex arrow for the first time.
Ditto!
Sorry you had to travel so far to see something I live (literally) less than a mile from. But despite all the times I've passed it, I never knew its unique story!
I could not control my emotions when Phil finally visited the Standard in San Fran, I was moved.
I used to work for Chevron as a tanker driver in the mid-90's. I delivered gas to the location in Milwaukee, OR many times when it was the sole Standard-branded station in that state. My first time there, I immediately noticed the branding and asked the other drivers about it. Nobody really knew the reason, or at least they couldn't (or wouldn't?) explain it well. They seemed to think it was more like the station's owner/operator had some kind of special deal that allowed them to keep it... like they wanted it that way, something along those lines. Nobody I talked to knew about the Chevron corp. keeping the Standard trademark alive.
How have I never noticed this! I have driven by the one in ATL for decades and never connected the dots. Thank you!