The beginning of the era of gas stations in the USA: how it was (9 photos)

The first gas stations in the USA began operating more than a hundred years ago. And they looked completely different than they do now.





Initially, gas stations were tanks of small size, which were fixed on a stand with a height of approx 2.5 meters. From them came hoses with a shut-off valve, from which fuel entered the tanks of cars.







But the number of cars grew, the load increased. And it happened it is obvious that such a method is not only inconvenient, but also unsafe And the familiar today format of the site began to be introduced, including shopping stalls, snack bars, etc.

The first columns were already installed at such gas stations. But the principle their work was still significantly different from modern ones. First the fuel was fed by means of a hand pump into the reservoir in the upper part of the column.





Since the container was transparent, the client could clearly see how much fuel was left in it.









The amount of filled fuel was determined using a scale. And, finally, gasoline from the tank to the tank flowed by gravity, because electric pumps did not exist yet.