Volume 10 , Issue 13

Farmers Elevator & Gas Prices of '39

When our demolition crew was tearing down the houses on 12th & Oklahoma Blvd. last Fall, in Alva, OK, they found many old, yellow aged receipts, especially, this 1939 receipt that was left to preserve oil and gas prices of northwest Oklahoma, particularly Waynoka, Oklahoma, on February 7, 1939.

Do you remember when you could buy ten (10) gallons of gas for $1.50? Especially at the Farmers Elevator & Farmers Oil Co., in Waynoka, Oklahoma? Does anyone remember the manager, J. L. Davis?

Farmers Oil Co. advertised "Good Gas - Good Oil - Good Greases - Good Tires - Service."

Remember Hat Carson of the Waynoka, Oklahoma area? The reason I brought up Carson's name is because the name on the receipt looks to read "Hat Carson" who bought 10 gallons gas - $1.50, 50 of something that I can't make out (?? klio ??) - $3.50 and 5 gallons of oil - $2.25. Sales Tax on the $7.25 total was only $.04, bringing the total to $7.29.

If you could buy ten gallons of gas for $1.50, then gas prices must have been about $.15 per gallon. Let us see... that is how many times more than what we are paying now? 15 times higher than the price we are paying in southwest Colorado -- $3.35 regular of today? BUT... back then $.15 was probably a lot of money to the citizens of that era as they were in a depression, dust bowl days that stretched from the panhandle of Texas, north through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and further north -- as well as heading into World War II.

We shall never see that low of gas again in our lifetime, though. Will we see another recession and depression like our ancestors and parents experiences?

Back to the 1939 receipt... On the back of the receipt was this statement by the Farmers Elevator:

"This Announcement Was Written For YOU. We want YOU to take a personal interest in this store. Consider its advantages are for YOUR benefit and convenience. Our employees, stock and equipment are at YOUR service and everything YOU buy here is sold with the understanding that IT'S RIGHT in Quality, Quantity and Price, and if IT"S not right we are here to make it right. We thank YOU for YOUR interest in us and YOUR patronage."

I am assuming the Farmers Elevator & Farmers Oil Co. was a forerunner of the Farmers Co-op in Waynoka, Oklahoma during 1939. Did the Farmers Co-op manage to carry on the "GOOD" products and services that the Farmers Elevator was advertising back then?   |  View or Add Comments (9 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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