black and white photo of a gas station on a hill
This gas station and convenience store stood south of Fredericktown for many years. It also served as an alcohol supply center, considering that everything inside the town was “dry.” Credit: (Image source: The Knox Time Collection.)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mark Sebastian Jordan authors the History Knox column each weekend for Knox Pages.

I found this image of a gas station in the Knox Times collection of local images on Facebook, where it was donated by Vickie Clawson Adams.

Posters identified it as being known as Kemmer’s for at least part of its history. Another posted identified it as being owned by the Bumpus family at one point.

Everyone agreed that it is not there today. Not having a deep memory of the Fredericktown area myself, I’m not sure exactly where this was, so perhaps readers can orient me.

The impression from comments is that it was outside what were then the city limits of Fredericktown.

This station and an adjacent bar called Hilltop apparently did a brisk business in selling alcohol, for Fredericktown was officially a “dry” community, where alcohol sales were prohibited.

As I look at the lay of the land, am I correct in thinking this hill is now within Fredericktown city limits?

It is fascinating to look close up at the signs and items for sale. The sign advertising the newspaper is misspelled.

An ad from the 1950s advertising the Boston Cooler.

Many of these products are long gone. I had no idea what a “Boston Cooler” is, but according to an internet search, it was a drink invented by an ice cream shop on Boston Avenue in Detroit many years ago.

The shop was next door to a Vernor’s Ginger Ale stand, so they made a drink combining Vernor’s and vanilla ice cream, and it became known as the Boston Cooler.

I wonder if the Sohio sign survived? That would be a fantastic collector’s item today.