August 6, 2024 | Insights
A Brief Account of the Beginning of Gas Stations and Convenience Stores
North of Chouteau on Theresa Avenue in St. Louis: the birthplace of the gas station. In 1905, Harry Grenner and Clem Laessig opened the first drive-in filling station for motorists, consisting of a gravity-fed tank with what looked like a rudimentary garden hose attached to its base.1 When a customer drove in to refuel, an employee…
