Tim's Pump Page

Ed Rohr    Freddie Boehm   Richard Rohr This picture was taken in 1935. By then the white eagle globes had been replaced by Mobile Globes

This is the same globe seen on dad's Gilbert & Barker visible pump to the left.

My dad, Richard Rohr owned  White Eagle Station #1029 in Ness City, Kansas in the early 30's. Dad held onto one of the eagle globes and gave it to me in 1973.

My Pump Spotters

Pumpeyetis

Mike Rohr, Dan Rohr, Linda Rohr, Josh Rohr, Chris Rohr

VISIBLE PUMP HISTORY

Prior to the Visible pump customers had no idea what and how much they were buying. With the development of the visible pump the customer could see exactly what he was buying and the amount. The gas was measured into a graduated cylinder. Once the cylinder was filled, a gate valve was opened, allowing every drop pumped into the cylinder to be dispensed into the customers fuel tank. Between measurements and delivery there were no mechanical parts to wear out, or leak. Gate valves were replaced with self closing hose nozzles around 1924. Gallon indicators, placed vertically along the cylinder wall, showed the change in fuel level inside the cylinder as fuel was dispensed. Visible pump have been known to come in 5-gallon, 8-gallon, 10-gallon and 15-gallon sizes. Five gallons are usually older than the ten gallon. As gasoline with different octane rating were developed, dyes were added to storage tanks to color the different grades of fuel within the cylinders. Common colors were amber for regular, red or blue for premium, and clear for farm fuel. During the 1920's visible pumps ruled supreme. By 1925, there were nearly 200 manufacturers of gasoline pumps operating in the United States. Competition among manufacturers and the desire to produce gasoline pumps that would attract the motorists led to gasoline pumps that were aesthetically appealing. But in 1925, the first experimental mechanical measuring  pumps were also developed. By 1930 many states had banned the use of visibles because of the fire hazards and the claims of innacurate measurements. From a practical standpoint, visible gasoline pumps were considered by many consumers to be too slow when filling the larger fuel tanks of the newer cars, trucks and busses. However some companies still continued to manufacture them into the 1940's. Eventually these "ancient" visibles were scrapped for iron and brass or were simply retired to America's farms for private use.

Hayes Visible "Oil Derrick style"

Fry 73

Rare Springfield Pump

Hayes Visible

American 15 Gallon Western Special

Rapidayton Cut 100

A  Guaranteed Measure 117  "Mae West" similar to one  I am presently restoring.

Butler 71 Made in Kansas City, Missouri

Unknown Visible. Possibly a Clear Vision made in Wichita, KS

A G&B T176 similar to one I am presently restoring.

Wayne 515

Wichita Visible made in Wichita, Kansas

A pair of Ottwa pumps made in Ottowa Kansas in 1925. These are very heavy. They were made from oil well casings.

American 10 Gallon Model Unknown

Hayes Junior Model 604-H made in 1927 in Wichita, KS.

Clear Vision Model 517

A Gilbert & Barker T 176

Above is a Southwest Visible standing between 2 Correct Measure Visibles. I found the Correct Measure's in Mikado, Michigan near Lake Huron

A Gilbert and Barker Model 67 and an American Model 2387-V also known as the "12-10 Whilrwind" because you could fill the 10 gallon cylinder with only 12 strokes.

Bennett 910, Tokheim 36b, Butler 71

A Correct Measure pump I got in Mystic, Iowa.

A Tokheim 850 that was displayed at the Worlds Fair in Knoxville, TN. The theme was energy.

Gilbert & Barker T-8 Curb Pump - 1908 Purchased from my cousins Pete and Anita Pfiefer in Hays, Kansas.

This Fry 87 Tall ten gas pump came from Lake Krueger in Colton Nebraska. It supplied gas for partiers who came out to the rural dance hall to hear bands like Tommy Dorsey and Lawrence Welk. Just behind the pump was a beer house where the thirsty dancers could get something cool to drink.

This Wayne 851 Clock Face pump came from Highland Park, Illinois. It was made in 1930.

This farmer was kind enough to load all three of the pumps I bought from him.

Click here to see my calculator pump collection.

There's more than corn out in those fields. This farmer helped me load his Gilbert and Barker T-176 Visble pump on my trailer.

Click here for a nice web site featuring Dwaine Buck's Seaside Gas Collection

A 1918 Wayne 276, curb pump used by a farmer until 2002

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