Evolution of the American Gas Pump

Mar/Apr 2023
Issue #27 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
​Aaron Hop

A fully restored Bowser 97 “Square Sentry” pre-visible gas pump, hand-operated model, manufactured by S.F. Bowser & Company, Fort Wayne, IN, starting in 1922. Estimated value (without globe): $4,000.

Erie 753 clockface gas pump with old yellow paint. Note the red paint showing below the yellow, indicating that this pump was likely rebranded at some point. Manufactured by the Erie Pump Co., Erie, PA, starting in 1931. Estimated value (without globe): $4,000.

Bennett 810 visible gas pump, hand-operated model, in factory original red paint with 10-gallon cylinder, manufactured by the Bennett Pump Co., Muskegon, MI, starting in 1930. Estimated value (without globe): $2,500.

Wayne 60 computing gas pump, manufactured by the Wayne Oil Tank & Pump Co., Fort Wayne, IN, starting in 1935. Estimated value (without globe): $3,500.

M&S 80 computing gas pump, restored to Mobilgas Special with optional script top. Manufactured by Martin & Schwartz, Salisbury, MD, starting in 1946. Estimated value: $4,000.

When most people think of a gas pump, they visualize a modern multi-grade pump with a credit card reader and built-in TV screen – the kind found at the corner convenience store. To a collector, however, the term “gas pump” elicits thoughts of pumps from bygone eras, with the earliest pumps now more than 100 years old. The first generation of pumps were basically hand pumps on a barrel in front of a general store. 

​In the early 1900s, with a rapid increase in the number of registered vehicles, the need for a better method of gasoline distribution was needed. Larger hand pumps, attached to large buried tanks at the curbside, began popping up across the country. These pumps were largely generic and simple cast “stroker”-type designs; they were purely function-based to do their job of getting fuel from the tank to the automobile. This all began to change by the late 1910s, and certainly into the Roaring Twenties, as more pumps and dedicated gas stations appeared.There are many variations of early gas pumps, but the Bowser 97 Square Sentry shown here is a good example of an early-style gas pump. This particular model came on the market in 1922 and was hand-operated like the earlier blind pumps were. From the mundane appearance of the earliest pumps, we now see design and aesthetics coming into play in pumps from manufacturers across the country. 

Pumps went from small and inconspicuous to large and imposing in a matter of a decade. The Bowser pump also offered a globe mount at the top, which would have been illuminated at stations with electricity to further catch the motorist’s eye. Many pumps of this early style are referred to as “pre-visible” gas pumps. 

​The next era of gas pumps featured arguably the most iconic pump of all time, the visible gas pump with large glass cylinders. Even the most casual collector has likely encountered one of these in their adventures, as the use of these pumps was widespread and prolonged. 

The earliest visible pump models were in use by the late teens, but this style of pump commanded the market share as the 1920s progressed. The Bennett Model 810 10-gallon visible pump shown here was manufactured in 1930 and is indicative of most pumps from this era and style. Many of these pumps were hand-operated, where the attendant would manually pump the fuel up into the cylinder from the holding tank before allowing gravity to drop the desired number of gallons into the customer’s tank; some collectors refer to this style of the pump as a “gravity feed” pump. 

​Visible pumps also came with electric and air-operated pumps for filling the cylinders as more and more stations gained access to electricity throughout the countryside after passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. The large cylinders gave comfort to consumers, because they could see the fuel being delivered from the pump into their vehicle’s tank – eliminating some of the concerns of being shortchanged at one of the earlier blind pumps. Oil companies using visible gas pumps sometimes dyed their different grades of fuel, which furthered customers’ confidence in knowing that they were getting exactly what they ordered. Most visible gas pumps were made with 10-gallon cylinders, but 5-gallon pumps are fairly prevalent as well; there are some odd-sized cylinder pumps known to exist from small manufacturers, including a rare 15-gallon model.  

Following the visible pump era came the “clockface” gas pumps. While most visible pumps stand at imposing heights, often nearing 10 feet with globes, this next generation of pumps stood a more modest six or seven feet tall with a globe atop. Instead of the earlier manually operated pumps, clockface pumps used electric motors almost exclusively to drive the internal pumps and the dial mechanisms; however, hand-operated pumps of this type do turn up occasionally in collector circles. The name “clockface” comes from the large clock-like dial at the top center of these pumps, with hands that would move in a clockwise fashion as the gasoline flowed through the meter to indicate both the flow of fuel and the volume dispensed. To further inspire consumer confidence, most pumps from this era utilized a small sight glass with a flow indicator that would show that fuel was indeed flowing from the pump and into the car’s tank. 

Interestingly, many rural areas did not see widespread clockface pump usage, because by the time electricity was broadly accessible at remote locations, these pumps were no longer being manufactured; the earlier visible pump designs had stayed in use in these areas throughout this time. 

The Erie 753 gas pump with Shell globe pictured here was manufactured in 1931 and is indicative of pumps from this era. Clockface pumps are some of the most widely sought-after pumps among collectors today. 
A major innovation then followed the clockface gas pumps: the “computing” pump mechanism, which would be used from the 1930s and for decades to follow.

These meters could be set with current prices and would measure gallon flow and the total value of the sale right on the pump face. This is something we take for granted today, but in the post-Depression era it was a major step forward technologically. 

The first generations of these pumps stood tall, like the clockfaces, but soon became shorter and more streamlined. The Wayne 60 gas pump with Speedway globe and ad glass came into production in 1935; this model pump is not particularly rare but is highly sought after in collector circles. The Martin & Schwartz 80 gas pump with Mobilgas Special pump plate and top is an example of how the styling evolved; this particular model came into production in 1946. 

This brief overview of gas pumps is the tip of an iceberg, to say the least! There are countless variations, as the generations of pumps overlapped and changed from one to the other. Often, the new pumps would be installed at new stations or highest visibility/volume locations, and the existing pumps would be moved to less prominent locations or out to farms for use there; this being said, the same pump may have seen use for decades as it made the rounds from location to location. 

With this in mind, we often see color schemes or logos in use that, at a casual glance, do not fit the normal era of use – but it makes sense, knowing that the pump may have been repurposed or reused several times in its life.  For those interested in learning more about gas pumps, I highly recommend The Gas Pump Bible, written by the late Jack Sim. It features images and information on more than 3,000 gas pumps and serves as an invaluable resource to collectors. 
​
Aaron Hop

To read more great columns like this one from Gas & Oil expert Aaron Hop...
Subscribe to AutoMobilia Resource

Subscribe