|
| Derrick atop
Bob's Oil Well station in Matador |
Built
of native stone and petrified wood, Bob's was once as well-known to
intersate truckers as South Dakota's Wall Drugstore. Bob was WWI
veteran Luther Bedford Robertson who opened the original station with
a wooden derrick in the 1930s. Luther's dedication and flair for promotion
(being the only station for miles didn't hurt) made his enterprise
an outstanding success. He replaced the wooden derrick with a metal
one and added a cafe, garage and grocery in the late 1930s.
"Bob" died in 1947 and while his widow attempted to keep it open,
it closed in the 1950s. The station and cafe are currently undergoing
restoration after being placed on the Texas endangered building list
in 2004. A historical marker has been placed at the site and there
are hopes of turning the old landmark into a visitor's center and
museum. |
 |
Historical Marker:
Bob's Oil Well
Greenville, Texas
native Luther Bedford "Bob" Robertson (1894-1947), a veteran of World
War I, came to Matador
in the 1920s. He was a gas station attendant in 1932 when he decided
to open a service station here. To promote his new business, he built
a wooden oil derrick over the station. He patented his design, and
in 1939 replaced the wooden derrick with one of steel that reached
84 feet in height and included lights.
Robertson was a gifted businessman and promoter, and he used any opportunity
to advertise his operation and attract customers. He kept a cage of
live rattlesnakes for the amusement of tourists, and from that initial
attraction grew a zoo that included lions, monkeys, coyotes, a white
buffalo and other animals. He paid long distance truckers to place
advertising signs at strategic points across the nation noting the
mileage to Bob's Oil Well in Matador,
and they became well known to the motoring public. As a result of
his success, Robertson enlarged his operation to include a grocery,
café and garage.
In addition to his business skills, Robertson was an active civic
leader in Matador.
He was particularly interested in recognizing the efforts of those
who served in the military during World
War II. Bob Robertson died in 1947, and two weeks later a high
wind toppled the steel derrick that had been the trademark of his
business. His widow, Olga (Cunningham) (d. 1993), restored it two
years later with even larger lights. The business did not continue
long after, however, and closed in the 1950s. Later efforts to reopen
it were short-lived. Today, the site serves as a reminder of a time
when such bold roadside architecture was in its infancy and of a man
who, through his business, widely promoted his adopted hometown.
(2005) |
 |
| Closeup of neon
sign, hammered by a blue norther past, at Bob's Oil Well Cafe |
| Bob's Oil Well
Cafe back wall |
"The station
and neighboring cafe were built in the early 1930s by Bob Robertson,
who was as much a showman as he was a businessman. Live rattlesnakes
were kept in cages inside to the delight and horror of anyone who
stopped by." - Wes
Reeves, 2007
Photos courtesy Wes
Reeves |
|
|
HOME
