David Falconer: Out of Gas in Potlatch

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Gasoline stations abandoned during the fuel crisis in the winter of 1973-74 were sometimes used for other purposes. This station at Potlatch, Washington, west of Olympia, was turned Into a religious meeting hall. Signs painted on the gas pumps proclaim "Fill up with the Holy Ghost and Fire... Fill up with Old Time Salvation": photo by David Falconer, April 1974 

riches
 
.........................Run-of-the-mill
industrial revolution manufactured goods
superfluous blankets and dinged-up copper tea kettles
 ...............................in a country without tea
a necklace of old keys polished by so much touching 
prestige comes from status goods 'Indian wealth'
conferring rank by way of display privileges
At Nootka Gray was charged a six inch
scrap of sheet copper (and thought it costly)
for a two feet by five jet black thick
................................short glossy
'prime' skin..............'They do not seem to covet
usefull things' noted the Columbia's supercargo
Hoskins, in charge of the business end,
'but anything that looks pleasing 
to the eye, or what they call riches'



TC: riches, from Empire of Skin, 1997

 

Independent dealers and major oil company dealers began to close some stations permanently during the gasoline shortage in the winter of 1973-74. Pumps such as this one, west of Olympia, Washington, became more common as shortages affected the economy from various angles: photo by David Falconer, April 1974

Independent dealers and major oil company dealers began to close some stations permanently during the gasoline shortage in the winter of 1973-74.  Pumps such as these in Shelton, Washington, west of Olympia, became more common as shortages affected the economy from various angles: photo by David Falconer, April 1974

Independent dealers and major oil company dealers began to close some stations permanently during the gasoline shortage in the winter of 1973-74.  In the Pacific Northwest pumps such as this one became more common as shortages affected the economy from various angles: photo by David Falconer, April 1974

A service station in Portland, Oregon, forced to close for lack of gasoline and no Interest in discount priced milk: photo by David Falconer, May 1974

Gas station in Portland, Oregon, closed because of a lack of fuel allocation. It was one of many stations closed during the fuel crisis in the winter of 1973-74: photo by David Falconer, May 1974




  This recently built gas station had no fuel allocation and was closed, then moved from a busy intersection during the gasoline crisis of 1973-74: photo by David Falconer, May 1974

The Energy Crisis in the states of Oregon and Washington resulted in attempts at humor by businesses with darkened signs such as this one in Vancouver, Washington: photo by David Falconer, November 1973

Both Oregon and Washington states led the nation in reducing driving speeds to conserve gasoline before federal limits were passed. A speed limit sign and a reminder are shown along Interstate #5: photo by David Falconer, November 1973

"No Gas" signs were a common sight at gas stations in Oregon, such as at this one in Lincoln City along the coast, during the Fall of 1973. Many stations closed earlier, opened later and shut down on the weekends: photo by David Falconer, October 1973

Gas station attendants peer over their "Out of Gas" sign in Portland, on day before the state's requested Saturday closure of gasoline stations: photo by David Falconer, November 1973

Downtown core area of Portland, after 7 P.M. on 2 November 1973, during the state's Energy Crisis, with few commercial and neon lighting displays. This photo looks toward the west with the Willamette River in the foreground: photo by David Falconer, November 1973

 
Looking Into the downtown core area of Portland, Oregon, from the West Hills. The 43-storey First National Bank Building shows lights on only a few floors at 8 P.M. during the state's Energy Crisis in the Fall of 1973: photo by David Falconer, November 1973

Looking Into the downtown core area of Portland, Oregon, from the West Hills. The 43-storey First National Bank Building shows lights on only a few floors at 8 P.M. during the state's Energy Crisis in the Fall of 1973: photo by David Falconer, November 1973

Stadium Freeway in Portland, Oregon is shown in November 1973, as It looked without street lighting. Only car lights were in evidence since freeway and major street lighting were banned by the Governor's executive order during the Energy Crisis: photo by David Falconer, December 1973

Reading and studying by kerosene lamps became more common as people tried to conserve electricity. This person in Portland, Oregon is using a lamp: photo by David Falconer, December 1973

A car battery operated this neon advertising sign over a business in Portland, Oregon, during the state's Energy Crisis: photo by David Falconer, December 1973 

Empty streets were a common sight in Portland during the 1973 fuel crisis when gasoline stations were closed on the weekends: photo by David Falconer, December 1973

Lone car on a street usually filled with Sunday drivers gives an idea of the effect the ban on Sunday gasoline sales had on motorists: photo by David Falconer, December 1973

Some motorists, such as this man in Portland, ran out of gas and had to stand in line with a gas can during the fuel crisis in the Pacific Northwest: photo by David Falconer, December 1973
 

The driving public became so desperate for gasoline that many stations such as this one in Portland had to resort to locking their pumps in daytime during the fuel crisis of 1973-74: photo by David Falconer, December 1973

Conservation of electricity resulted in more people collecting firewood along the beaches as did this person near Lincoln City, Oregon. When this picture was taken in January, 1974, there was a wind-chill factor of minus 12 degrees: photo by David Falconer, January 1974

School children were forced to use their bicycles on field trips during the fuel crisis in the winter of 1974. There was not enough gasoline for school buses to be used for extracurricular activities, even during dark and rainy weather: photo by David Falconer, February 1974

Gasoline stations abandoned during the fuel crisis in the winter of 1973-74 were sometimes used for other purposes. This station at Potlatch, Washington, west of Olympia, was turned Into a religious meeting hall. A sign painted on the gas pumps proclaimed "Fill Up with Old Time Salvation": photo by David Falconer, April 1974

Photos by David Falconer from the DOCUMERICA series, an Environmental Protection Agency program to photographically document subjects of environmental concern, compiled 1972-1977 (U.S. National Archives)