76
Just down the hill from my home, across Highway 522 in Woodinville. The former 76 gas station has been abandoned for many years despite being poised at the entrance to downtown. The midcentury angles contrast sharply with the graffiti.
Gasoline
Gas stations, old and new have been a recurring theme for me since my first cross-country run in 2020.
Sequim
In August 2022, we spent several days staying in Sequim, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula while visiting Olympic National Park. Sequim is one of the sunniest spots on the Pacific Northwest - outside the “rain shadow” of the mountains and known for it’s lavender fields and ocean views. This station sits just east of downtown. And since my father worked for Texaco for almost twenty years, it was an obvious subject.
Tire Center
Another image from the abandoned 76 gas station in Woodinville, Washington. Just as 20th Century America saw the world through television screens, today we increasingly view our world through cell phones.
Trulocks
In August 2020, I was driving cross country solo. Midafternoon, I pulled off to find gas - and found this station instead. It reminded me of Edward Hopper’s famous “Gas” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Also, my father worked for Texaco for almost twenty years.
Trespass 2026
On that October sunrise morning, I circled around to photograph the Thrall station from the road. The old canopy and its two columns looked better straight on, especially in black and white. There's a No Trespassing sign beside the entrance, which seems a little optimistic given the condition of the building. Still, there are plenty of unknown histories and untold journeys from this place.
Thrall 2026
On an early October morning at the head of Yakima Canyon, I came across this abandoned service station in Thrall along the old freight line. The old canopy is still standing, along with the peeling stucco, boarded windows and a green door that has seen better days. I love finding places like this and wondering when someone last stopped for gas.
Collapsing 2026
The roof is broken, boards are missing, and I'm not sure what's keeping parts of this old service station in Thrall, Washington, standing. I photographed it a few minutes after sunrise, on a freezing October morning near Yakima Canyon, shooting toward the east with the sun coming through the big tree behind the building. Black and white seemed right for this one, especially with the contrast between the failing wooden addition and the station beside it.