Gafill Oil Company in Argos

My great-grandfather (above) may have started our family in the fuel business with his employment as the agent for an oil company in Argos during the 1930s-1950s.  Harley Garner became the manager for the Gafill Oil Company in Argos; the company had both a bulk sales and retail sales location in town.  The Gafill Oil Company was established in South Bend by J. Bruce Gafill in 1915 with capital of $10,000.  It was sold by about 1958 when many of the larger companies were buying up small distributors.  Gafill was no small operation though, their distribution was widespread through Northern Indiana and was a familiar sign seen along the Lincoln & Dixie Highways (Argos being on the latter) for tourists.  In 1940, both Harley and Merritt Garner (his oldest son) worked for the company's Argos location, as the New Year's greeting below demonstrates.

In 1946, Gafill built a new service station on the northwest corner of Church and Michigan (old 31) Streets in Argos.  The 60 x 56 building set back from the street and had concrete paving "improving the eye value of the location."  The new building offered "tile lined, sanitary restrooms to serve the traveling public." The company said the station with its bulk plant nearer the railroad was one of its main distribution centers.  Harley Garner and Herman Ault had the two delivery routes in that year.  HY Pershing owned the service station by 1947, though my great-grandfather continued on as the agent into the early 1950s.  The building was one of the best preserved relics of the town's Old 31 history, which was the second-most traveled highway in Indiana when the station was built.