| Filling Station Row |
Riter's Garage and Bus Station on Highway 80 (Broad St.) at N. Bois d'Arc Street. Built about 1932.
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Forney's "Filling Station Row" came into being when the new Dixie Highway (US 80) was built on the route of Broad Street in 1931.
Although Forney's agricultural community was hit hard during the Great Depression, America's love for automobiles and an ever-increasing dependency on cars and trucks for business as well as personal use, fueled Forney's need for gas & service stations. The new Highway 80, the main southern route between the east and west coasts, was routed through Forney on Broad Street. Forney shelled out a lot to prepare Broad Street for this new traffic, but reaped the benefits and the profit once the traffic was diverted. |
| These gas stations were more than just truck stops, they were restaurants and meeting places. By 1937 there were at least eight service stations and garages on Broad between Cedar Street and the Hillcrest Cemetery, including the Pink Elephant, a popular teenage hang-out, and Riter's Garage and Bus Station. |
Paul Clarkson Texaco, east corner of Highway 80 (Broad St.) and Pinson Road. Pictured is Paul Clarkson.
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