Up until the early 1990s, there was a gas station on the northeast corner: Dull's Union 76. But you would never know that today by looking at the vacant land that is there.
I'm surprised that I 'd largely forgotten about that gas station. Dull's Union 76 was a great old-timey gas station right out of Mayberry. There were always plenty of friendly folks inside the store, and besides gasoline, you could even get something notarized there (I know, because I did).
That whole area – from Abbe & Colorado – has changed a lot since the mid-80s when I used to take Abbe Road north to Oster Road to get to my apartment on Irving Park Boulevard. Abbe Road was two lanes back then (with no overpass) and it was real farm country when you got to Oster. Now the area is quite unrecognizable to me.
You can tell I liked it better the way it used to be. But that's progress.
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| Courtesy CollectorsQuest.com |
From at least the early 1950s, there had been a grocery store on that spot at 5311 Colorado Avenue, according to the Lorain City Directory. Alex Taryan operated a store there in the early 1950s, and it became Krall's Grocery Store later on the 50s.
Finally, around 1960 a service station – 611 Fleetwing – replaced the store at that address. It became Dull's Fleetwing Service Station around 1970 or so, and switched to the Union 76 brand by 1975.
Does anyone else remember that service station? If so, be sure to post a memory!
