Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Phone 289 for Moehl's Garage

I bought this little cigarette lighter some time ago; finally got around to attempting to photograph it, not very successfully, since it's little and round and has a heavy side and a light side and always wants to lie heavy side down. This is as good as it's going to get.

Moehl 1
(Click on images to enlarge)

Moehl 2

Moehl 3

There's still a spark in the old thing!

Moehl spark

… but no fuel, probably, so no flame.

The building that once housed Moehl's Garage was at the northeast corner of the junction of Second and East Streets. I believe it was the one recently demolished and replaced by another building on the same site. Thank goodness for Google street view, which lags behind real time — they haven't sent their cameramobile down that street since the demolition, so I went in there and nabbed this picture:*

Possibly Moehl's from west

I have checked local directories; the earliest Moehl's Garage appears is 1947, and the latest, 1974. A 1956 directory gives the proprietor's name as Elmer, a 1962 directory has it as Lowell, but I think they might be the same guy.


_____________________
*Why didn't I think to do that with the Crisman house right away? It's too late now. The cameramobile has gone down 73rd Avenue again.

3 comments:

mystoryandtheirs said...

Do you still have this?


Thanks!!!!

Ainsworthiana said...

No, I donated it to the Hobart Historical Society. It's at the museum now.

mystoryandtheirs said...

Oh Well, I'm happy it's safe. Elmer Moehl was my 2nd-great uncle. Thanks for sharing this.