Restoration of Historic Issaquah Gas Station Celebrated
Vintage Fords, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, and other classic cars pulled up again to the red and yellow Shell gas pumps at the Hailstone Feed Store and Gas Station in Issaquah this month. They adorned the Front Street business at the annual City Cruise car show on June 25 as preservationists put the final touches on their task of preserving the historic structure. "Old gasoline stations that were combined with other business are few and far between," says project manager Greg Spranger.
Spranger and a cadre of volunteers have worked on restoration since 2002, when the City of Issaquah purchased the building. Built as a residence in the late 1890s, the structure was converted into a feed store for local farmers around 1903. In 1942, new owners added two gasoline pumps and the business served travelers crossing Snoqualmie Pass until 1990, when it closed. Historians are puzzled over how a gas station could have opened and operated in the first months of World War II, when gasoline was tightly rationed. One theory points to its strategic location on a main road between the industrial plants of Puget Sound and key energy facilities, such as the Columbia River dams and the Hanford nuclear plant. Travelers would need to refuel before attempting the winding two-lane highway over Snoqualmie Summit.
The City of Issaquah designated the station as a city landmark in 2003. The following year, 4Culture awarded the city a $7,500 Landmark Rehabilitation Program grant to restore the building to its 1942 appearance. Exterior work is about 90 percent complete. When the project is finished in October, the interior will include a small museum, offices, and a gift shop supporting Issaquah not-for-profit organizations. In the years ahead, Spranger says, the historic pit stop will become an icon for residents and visitors alike.
For more information on the Hailstone Feed Store and Gas Station, contact Greg Spranger at 425.681.5408.
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