LMCFashions:
I suspect that “Davis Grove” is not a geographical place name per se; rather, it is the name of a privately owned picnic grove adjacent to the filling station. This is why the name does not appear on any New Jersey maps and why I initially thought the facility stood in Pennsylvania. However, your father-in-law’s recollections have now convinced me otherwise.
In the early days of automobile travel, filling stations, comfort stations, and roadside restaurants were often hard to find. So, as an added attraction for drivers to pull in for gas and/or some snacks or food from the adjacent store, station operators would sometime locate a few picnic tables under the trees for visitors to use.
Although I was NOT successful in finding your Thomas James in the 1930 census, I did conduct a search for someone named Davis living in the Medford/Southampton area and, sure enough, I did find an auto mechanic named Davis living in the village of Medford. I can't say for sure whether he owned the “Davis Grove” filling station, but it certainly is a possibility.
We’ll see what the research tomorrow might bring.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
A
anghew025
Guest
My father in law is 100% adament that this was definately in NJ. I mentioned about Davis Grove in PA and he insisted absolutely not. He tends to think that Davis Grove was more of a family name such as a "family farm" or "grove" type place than a city. I can not wait to see what tomorrow turns up!!!!! 
Would there be any information in Henry Bisbee's book Sign Posts; Place Names in the History of Burlington County? Sorry I do not have a copy of it, otherwise I would check myself.
Trailhead00:
I checked all of the normal place name sources—including both of Bisbee’s books—without success. While localized place names certainly exist without proper recordation, I think in this case it is as I wrote earlier: a private picnic grove for traveling motorists.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
The price I was referring to is the large sign along the road.
Guy
When I was growing up, the Gibbsboro Tavern sold gas and candy out at the end of the building closest to Berlin Road. It was called Rudy's. The building was just recently demo'd.
I remember my father asking out loud with me in the car, "Who the hell would buy their gas there?
The price was 34.9c/gal. At the time, we were getting at elsewhere for 26.9c/gal.
The cheapest I can remember was Donnely's on Route 70 in Cherry Hill at 22.9c/gal
Gas sign
The opposite side of that sign still has numbers on it, but it is difficult to read whizzing by at 50mph. I traveled the route between Medford and Red Lion this afternoon and didn't discern any buildings that look like the picture. I even tried the NJDEP's known contaminated sites list to see if anything came up in that area, and not much along rt 70, but there is a site on the northwest corner of the Red Lion circle. BTW, that interactive map will also show historic aerials back to 1930.
Geoff
The opposite side of that sign still has numbers on it, but it is difficult to read whizzing by at 50mph. I traveled the route between Medford and Red Lion this afternoon and didn't discern any buildings that look like the picture. I even tried the NJDEP's known contaminated sites list to see if anything came up in that area, and not much along rt 70, but there is a site on the northwest corner of the Red Lion circle. BTW, that interactive map will also show historic aerials back to 1930.
Geoff
A
anghew025
Guest
I tried that too and all I got was Chairville
What a mystery eh? What interactive map are you referring to? I would like to try it out.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=7388939650142975785,39.887486,-74.663164&q=Fire+Ln+S+%4039.887486,+-74.663164&sll=39.887603,-74.662614&sspn=0.003663,0.006609&ie=UTF8&ll=39.888303,-74.663172&spn=0.007327,0.013218&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr
Okay, lets see if this works. okay it did. it is the link at the top of the post here.
Well I'm just going on what dad says and he swears that it was between those 2 places. Your photo isn't appearing though so I can't seeI would love to see the pic. Can you either email it to me or repost it?
Okay, lets see if this works. okay it did. it is the link at the top of the post here.
iMap
http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/depsplash.htm
This is the NJDEP iMap, which has a number of layers and views.
Geoff
http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/depsplash.htm
This is the NJDEP iMap, which has a number of layers and views.
Geoff
I drove past that clearing on rt70 this morning. I had my son in the car and couldn't really get out to poke around. this is it.
Jeff
Jeff
Historic aerial
Here is a link to the 1956 historic aerial map:
http://www.historicaerials.com?poi=718
A review of the iMap for 1930 doesn't zoom in close enough to tell if there was a building there at that time or not.
Geoff
Here is a link to the 1956 historic aerial map:
http://www.historicaerials.com?poi=718
A review of the iMap for 1930 doesn't zoom in close enough to tell if there was a building there at that time or not.
Geoff
A
anghew025
Guest
Thank you both very much!! 
The secret is about to unfold I just know it and it's getting exciting!! I can't wait to see what jerseyman uncovers today in his travels!!
The secret is about to unfold I just know it and it's getting exciting!! I can't wait to see what jerseyman uncovers today in his travels!!
Thank you both very much!!
LMCFashions:
I have just returned from my travels and I am not certain I have good news. I went to the Burlington County Clerk’s Office in Mount Holly and reviewed the drawings for the planned widening of Route 40. A set of six drawings covered the distance between Medford and Red Lion Circle—all dated November 1936—and I reviewed each sheet carefully to examine the filling stations depicted. There is only one that even comes close to matching the buildings and arrangement in the photograph you provided and it is just over the Medford Township-Southampton Township line (Little Creek) in Southampton Township. Here is a scan from the New Jersey State Highway Department drawing:
And here is where the 1953 Mount Holly, N.J. original USGS 7.5-minute topo quad shows it (I have outlined it with an orange box):
This location and its still extant buildings are the same ones that appears in Teegate's photo, so unless someone rebuilt the house and the office with a Jerkinhead roof (possible, but not likely), this is not the filling station and residence you are seeking. Note that the blueprint copy indicates the dwelling is a one-story bungalow, which, again, matches Teegate’s photo. So unless the photograph you provided dates to either an earlier period (likely) or a period subsequent to the drawing’s date of November 1936 (not likely), your filling station was located elsewhere. This is not just a function of raising or lowering the roof line on the house. In point of fact, these are two entirely different dwellings and office buildings.
Unfortunately, I did not have time to check the other sections east and west of the Medford-Red Lion section I did examine, so perhaps Woodjin may be correct on his identification of the location. If I travel to Mount Holly next week, I will try to take another look. Meanwhile, see if your father-in-law can hone his memories a bit more.
Sorry things are still ambiguous.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
Or you could use http://maps.njpinebarrens.com which is far easier to use and I believe lets you zoom in a bit more.
Jerseyman,
You went above and beyond the call of duty on this one. Nice work! Did you see anything interesting on the Cow Tunnels or anything else?
Could the station have been where the Sunoco was at 70 and Evesboro Medford Road?
Guy
You went above and beyond the call of duty on this one. Nice work! Did you see anything interesting on the Cow Tunnels or anything else?
Could the station have been where the Sunoco was at 70 and Evesboro Medford Road?
Guy
Thanks, Guy! Based on where I was coming from, it was not a real big deal to stop off in Mount Holly. The biggest hassle was just getting through the metal detectors, but I left my change, nail clipper, and pocket knife in the truck. So, it was not too difficult—just a bit of an inconvenience. Unfortunately, my time was limited, so I could not check the other sections in Evesham Township and in Southampton Township. Maybe next week if I have another reason to go to the clerk's office.
I did not see anything concerning the cow tunnels on the 1936 drawings; I recollect the state construct them on the next wave of Route 40/70 improvements as the relatively low flow of traffic in the 1930s would not have warranted such extravagancies. I don’t recall whether any of the cow tunnels pre-date the 1950s—do you?
It’s possible the filling station stood where the Sunoco was later built, but it is hard to say right now.
For the moment, the mystery remains unsolved, but I suspect it will be resolved in the near future!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
