Towns and Nature: confection

Showing posts with label confection. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Commerce, OK: Marathon/Tydiol & Original Dairy King and Conoco Gas Stations

Marathon: (Satellite)

Conoco: (Satellite)

US-66 Overview

(The first Dairy Queen opened in Joliet, IL, in 1940 along Route 66.)

The pumps say Marathon. The logo has a runner with MARATHON and "MILE-maker."

Street View, Sep 2024

This station is across Main Street from the Dairy King.

Street View, Jun 2013

唐受衡, Sep 2025

This may be the interior of the Conoco station because the Dairy King has 1950s style tables and benches on the inside. I've seen a few horizontal Coca-Cola bottle dispensers, but that is the first 7up dispenser that I have seen.

Paolo Santi, Sep 2019

They spiffed up the place for the 100th Anniversary of Route 66.

Buck Nekked, Jun 2025

Route 66 Postcards posted three images with the comment:

Here is a "then, later, & now" of the Broyles Tydol filling station & Dairy King in Commerce, Oklahoma on old Route 66 at 100 N Main St. Later it was a Marathon station & rock shop, and now is the Dairy King, It is a excellent example of a building that has been restored and converted to a new purpose while preserving its historical Route 66 vintage appearance. Mickey Mantle grew up in Commerce. His childhood home is just a few blocks away from the Dairy King.
The "later" postcard is courtesy of Steve Rider, and the "now" photo is courtesy of Eldon McGraw.

Vernon Cole: Also the site of Bonnie and Clydes last murder.

Steve Patterson: My mother-in-law Ruth Broyles McCord, now 98 years young just told me that three Broyles brothers ran the station together. Her father Jessie Broyles, and his brothers Landon and Loren were the original owners. I was not aware that they also sold ice cream as the original Dairy King.

By the way, if you want a great cheeseburger stop in the current Dairy King. If you’re traveling Route 66, sign their guestbook along with people from many countries around the world. The DuBois family will treat you right. Bring cash!

Gene Williams: Commerce was the home of the great baseball player Mickey Mantle.

[Several comments praise the cookies.]

Mickey Mantle's Childhood Home

Street View, Sep 2024

This is the oldest detailed topo map I could find and they had already moved Route 66 from the west side to the east side of town. I wondered how they could afford to do that because normally the downtown would have grown up along Route 66. But in this town the downtown is along the east/west Commerce Ave. The Northeast Oklahoma Railroad was absorbed by Frisco.

1961/63 Miami NW Quad @ 24,000

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Richmond, IN: Uranus Fudge Factory and American Giants

(Satellite)

American Giants posted 15 photos with the comment:

Last October, I found this giant in rough shape in a junkyard in Amesbury, Massachusetts. At the time, he was badly damaged, weathered, and a long way from standing tall again. I purchased him and hauled him to Re-Giant in IL.
As we dug into his history, we found evidence that he had once been connected to Tulsa Oil, a regional brand tied to Gibbs Oil in New England. Layers of old paint revealed a white paint scheme underneath, along with the faint outline of a diamond-shaped “TULSA” logo on his chest.
Since we already had a line of giants waiting to go up at the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, IL, I decided to sell. The giant was purchased by Louie Keen and the Uranus Fudge Factory and restoration began on the lumberjack. The team spent months sanding, repairing fiberglass damage, fixing the damaged foot, and bringing him back from the brink.
In May 2026, he finally went into paint and came out looking incredible. Last Friday, he was transported to Richmond, Indiana and set up in front of the new Uranus Fudge Factory location there.
Now he’s standing tall again, holding an axe, with his Tulsa Oil history preserved on his chest. From junkyard wreck to roadside landmark again—this is exactly the mission of American Giants to find these old giants and bring them back to life, can't believe it's going on 15 years! Next time you are in Richmond Indiana be sure and visit the Uranus Fudge Factory and an extremely rare giant advertising Tulsa Oil!

James McCoy: I didn't know that Uranus was a chain. Whoda thunk....

Wendy Olson: James McCoy I only knew about the one on Old Rt. 66. Apparently there's two in Indiana. Learn something new every day! Their website is a hoot!

There are a lot of comments on the above post that provide the locations of other American Giants. These are the comments that contained photos.

Judy Orofino
At House of Doors Cheshire Connecticut

Dennis Coley
Coos County Logging Museum in Myrtle Point, Oregon.

B Morra
Helper. Utah

Esther Hold
Westwood California - North East CA not SoCal. Paul bunyan with Babe. Paul Bunyan days are coming up.

David Hjortnaes
The 1926 Speedster Rally was just there today. About 25 or so Model T and Model A speedsters. Here is one.
[There is the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, IL.]

Ron Nancy Assheim
Quakertown Pennsylvania

Josh Bare
Theres this guy in billings mt at a tire shop

Laurie Abel
Dooleys Hardware in Long Beach Ca. My in-laws family store .

J.d. Young
And 2 modified versions at the Pink Elephant store in Livingston,Il.

Jeff Chabotte
Big Bob, Norwich, CT.. formerly a Muffler Man,

Danny Minter
I saw a very similar statue in Harrisburg PA(?) Or near there at a tire dealer.

David Forbes
It was a nice surprise seeing this one the other day.
[Of course, this is the one in Richmond.]

Windy Weinberg Shepard
This guy is in Blue Ridge, GA. Before this building housed the dentist, it was a muffler store. They painted him and put the toothbrush in his hand.

Joshua Rhoades
Golden Driller Tulsa, Oklahoma

Edward Alexander Wayno III
In VA where I live on Warwick Blvd in Newport News is Auto Muffler King. I thought that guy looked familiar.

Lisa Chapman
He's mini golfing in Broken Bow Oklahoma
[They should have put the club in his hands in the opposite direction.]

Michael Barsczewski
Cheshire, Ct

Sean-Patrick Iles
Lake George NY mini golf has one!

Allison Adler Penfield
Louie the Lumberjack stands outside the Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University (home of the Lumberjacks) in Flagstaff, AZ!

Jeff Daum
One in Metropolis, IL. Superman’s hometown.

Melinda Staton
We have another one standing proudly back in Tulsa where he belongs. Cool story, thanks for sharing

Tim Lowman
This poor giant got hit and looked like he was being doctored back to good health in early May this year.

J.d Young
Here is 1 at Lauterbach tire in Springfield,Il.

Dan Travis
We had one identical in Enid, Oklahoma back in the 60s!😎

Donna Taylor
Known as Mr Bendo in Sioux Falls and represents a automotive shop. He is holding a bent muffler. This poor guy has had broken legs, hit by cars, repaired and painted many times and moved to his new spot!

Bob Ezell
MR. Bendo has been standing for years, Ralph's Muffler shop Indpls. Unfortunately hit an run, Getting fixed now, had some New molds of his legs, saved back.

Dale Lael

That’s great that another giant has been saved and has a new home. He looks great!!!

We have the Lauterbach’s muffler man very near us.

Fred Borson
Paul and Baby in Bemidji, Minnesota


Andy Kapa	Crystal Beach Amusement park at Crystal Beach Ontario Canada.

Kevin Kauth
This General Custer is in Wasta S.D. at the hotel.

Chuck Garst
There’s one here in Roanoke Virginia

Michael J. Nelson

Love this story❤️

We saved our Pizza Man...and now standing at our restaurant in Lisle IL

Margaret Hyre
Reminds of the Paul Bunyon and Babe in Ossineke, Michigan!

Bloomin Onion commented on Russell's comment below
She’s by him as well.

Russell Jay Rice
This is in Tulsa, the capital of route 66. He is called Meadow Gold Mack. Maybe we should trade.

Greg Vinson

Washington Ga

He’s been there since my childhood in the early 70’s; a local landmark. Don’t know the exact history but I “think” he was to represent Sinclair Oil Co. ? 🤷‍♂️

Steph Rene
You can find several of the Paul Bunyan giants throughout Michigan. The one in St Ignace is probably my favorite. He’s got Babe his big blue ox with him just hanging out at the tree line on a hill over looking the beautiful view!