STRATFORD SINCLAIR STATION

HISTORY of the STRATFORD SINCLAIR STATION
at James Valley Thresher's Park

One of the more unusual features of the James Valley Thresher’s Park is the old gas station on the parade route. It was moved to Thresher’s Park in 1990, but has a long history, almost a century, dating back to 1915. Lloyd Jark gives a history of its use through the years:

This was a Sinclair gas station located in Stratford SD, and had several owners over the years.

History of business managers of the Sinclair gas station:

Stanley Neil      1915-1939

Ervin Woods    1940-1942

Allan Baggett   1943-1946

Jim Birner        1947-1949

Harold Woods  1950-1954

Francis Horse    1955-1956

Bill Jones            1957-1965

Allan Hoeft         1966-1975

Don Bruns          1976-1979

High Grade Oil Company, which owned the property, then sold it to Dayle Ludeke and he used it for his office from which he ran the “Husky Spraying Service.”

Brown County became the owner of the station in 1980. They sold it at an auction to Lloyd Jark.

Lloyd was then approached by Kevin Anderson to bring the station to the James Valley Threshing Show. The Gas Station was moved into the James Valley Thresherman’s Park and permanently installed there in June of 1990.

The gas station retains all of its original character with two old visible gas pumps in front, one of which was donated by Art and Erna Raap in 1998. The front posts are decorated with old porcelain-on-metal signs advertising Remington Tires. (Exerpt from story.)