The Defunct Gas Stations of West (West, Texas)

Focusing on the north side of West Oak Street and I-35 (or rather, Exit 353), the first "numbered exit" on the Numbered Exits blog is merely coincidental and focuses on some of the defunct gas stations of West, Texas. The northwest corner of the intersection is our main focus. Currently (as of July 2024) this features a Starbucks and McDonald's, both sharing the address of 22119 N. Interstate 35. The McDonald's opened September 2021 and in March 2022, the Starbucks opened right next to it. Prior to this, there were two gas stations that got wrecked in the expansion of I-35. The first was Texaco / CEFCO (22185 N IH 35), a part of a bigger complex that included a large auto center and even incorporating a much older gas station into the property.

Additionally, an Exxon existed closer to West Oak Road. This was Gerik's Exxon at 22087 N IH-35, though it upgraded its canopy before its demise.

700 West Oaks Street at the northeast side still resembles a former 7-Eleven when it opened back in 1977. The Waco-area stores were sold to Circle K in 1988. Sometime around 1999 (it seems it was still Circle K in the late 1990s) was sold to Skinny's and by 2007 had been operating as a Skinny's/Fina for a number of years. It shut down in the early 2010s after I-35 ate the gas canopy area (and roadside sign), so it never became Alon (and if it did, it was extremely brief). It was abandoned in 2013 and became JoAnn's Bridal in 2014, though it relocated within a decade.

There's obviously the south side of West Oak Street that I did not cover, but that's a future update...or just check out the whole page where this post was derived and expanded from.

The photos here were generously provided by McLennan Central Appraisal District.

Navasota Exit TX-90 / TX-105 West (Navasota, Texas)

While not a numbered exit (it's just the name of the blog), I wanted to use this post to cover a few things about Navasota's main business exit, which goes to Anderson (to the west, TX-90 starts here), or to the east (TX-105 West) to Brenham.

One reason why this is important to me is that Navasota, growing up, represented something. If we were in Navasota for whatever reason, we were going on a trip, whether Houston or heading out as far east as Florida. Naturally, Navasota had a positive connotation even if there's really nothing to write home about.

This page covers from approximately from Alamo Drive to Dove Crossing Lane and is derived from this page on Carbon-izer.com. All of these are updated as of July 2024.

At the northeast corner (where the photo is taken from) is a McDonald's (8737 N. Hwy. 6) which was built here in 1993 (though the roof may have come later). It has since received a late-2000s/early 2010s remodel. The picture above, taken from me in 2006 (moving car, cheap camera, it's not a great photo), shows how the McDonald's looked just prior to the re-do. Note the original Chevron sign colors next door. Opened around 1988 with Annie's Country Store as the main store. A facade update was done in late 2020 with a minor expansion (soon after altering the roadside signage). Just out of view is Los Cabos Mexican Grill (8731 Highway 6) which it was starting around late 2021/early 2022. This restaurant was formerly Wrangler Steak House and later Las Fuentes Steak & Grill. Indications are it just changed names between November 2016 and June 2017, and started business in 2002.

The northwest corner of the intersection features Herrera's Mexican Restaurant (8734 N. Hwy. 6 Loop, also known as Herrera's Mexican Restaurant #3) which opened in 2019 to replace Erick's Mexican Restaurant (operated here previously since 2011). Various other Mexican restaurants have been here at least since at least the early 2000s and more prominently, a 7-Eleven/Exxon. The store at 1701 East Washington Avenue was previously Rattlers' (originally "Jim's Express Mart" from 1992 to early 2000s rebranding), and was the first time I saw the new Exxon logo (lower case lettering, no blue stripe) in late 2017. By early 2021, with the Stripes (which bought Rattlers) takeover by 7-Eleven progressing, the rectangular sign has both 7-Eleven and Exxon on it, neither very large. Two doors down is a Burger King opened in December 2019 owned by Kolkhorst Foods; the Kolkhorst family used to own Rattlers' (it was sold to Sunoco in 2015 and came under the Stripes family before it was flipped a few years later to 7-Eleven) and promised to build a Burger King at least since the time of the sale.

The southwest corner features a Walmart. Walmart #293 (still a "Division One" store) opened here in May 1980. For years, it kept its "WAL-MART" lettering (no star!) even as it switched to brown paint in the early 2010s. The store finally became a true "Walmart" by the late 2010s with lighter blue paint (it was to be replaced with a Supercenter but plans have stalled). A drive-through only Church's opened in 1984 (it was a prefabricated model that Church's developed) in the Wal-Mart parking lot. This was closed in 2022. Going a bit further down there's a car dealership built in 2019 (Sterling Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, 9030 Highway 6), ErgoGenesis (1 Bodybilt Place, operational since 2002 and likely a former TG&Y Family Center—still looking into that), a closed Aaron's (9310 Highway 6 Loop, 2007-2020), and Tractor Supply Company (store #1130, 9320 Highway 6 Loop), which opened in or around September 2006.

To the southeast is a Shell gas station, Pizza Hut (9305 Highway 90), and Sonic (9249 Highway 90). The Shell gas station (9323 TX-90) was built here with a Domino's Pizza (inside) and a Popeyes adjacent (branded as Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen these days, address of 9319 TX-90) around 1999 (may have been branded originally as a Texaco), the Domino's here closed in the summer of 2012 (apparently, both being located in the back of a gas station and in direct competition with a Pizza Hut in a small market was not good for business). It has since been replaced with (relatively recently) Sum Yum Chinese Food. Both Domino's and Popeyes have been removed from the roadside signage. Going a bit south (which is impossible if driving now thanks to a late 2000s conversion of making the frontage roads one way) has a Days Inn motel (8965 Highway 6, Best Western prior to around 2024), Autotrust Repairs (9309 N. Hwy. 6 Loop), Mallett Brothers Barbeque (9339, built in 2009), and a Comfort Inn & Suites (9345 Hwy. 6) built around the same time.

Brookshire Brothers (Alto, Texas)

I have a love/hate relationship with tiny grocery stores (this one is no exception clocking in at 15,000 square feet). On one hand, they're cute, often vintage, and make shopping a snap, on the other hand, they hardly have anything and they almost have higher prices than elsewhere. I came across this particular Brookshire Brothers (272 N. Marcus, Alto TX 75925) during a July 2024 trip. What I wanted was some deli meats and cheeses for a light lunch, what I ended up getting was a single banana and it was still more expensive than what H-E-B usually has. There's a Brookshire Bros. fuel island in the parking lot (originally Conoco).

Astonishingly, the store was not a relic of the 1960s or 1970s...it was built in 1997! The low store number suggests it replaced an even smaller store.

China Palace (Waco, Texas)

Picture courtesy MCAD
Originally appearing at Other Waco Roads on Carbon-izer comes China Palace, a poorly-disguised KFC at 1824 West Waco Drive. The KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) operated from approx. 1982 to 2002, with China Palace here from 2002 to 2005. This was followed briefly by China Dragon (2005-2006) and from 2006 to approximately 2012 this was Adriana & Janette's (also known as Adriana & Jeanette's, but the sign said Janette's) Mexican & American Restaurant, followed shortly by Cancun (another Mexican food establishment). Sam's Southern Eatery opened in January 2014 but after 2019 it disconnected from the main Sam's chain and became a similar establishment called Shaan Southern Eatery. The little sombrero and tacos picture where the Colonel used to be (added by A&J's) is still there. The current building still looks like an 1980s-era KFC but currently painted blue and red.

Town House Motor Inn (Columbia, South Carolina)

For some reason I've always found Clarion hotels fascinating, as often they're older hotels that have some history behind them, such as the old local Holiday Inn which was a Clarion Inn briefly, or the Waco location, which featured an enclosed courtyard with an indoor swimming pool.

Today's post takes us to Columbia, SC (where I have not personally been) where Ted of Columbia Closings incorrectly reported the restaurant building of their downtown Clarion hotel (at 1615 Gervais Street) torn down in preparation of a remodel and expansion. Turns out it was just the banquet/conference hall.

I've attached a few pictures from eBay showing the motel as it was before rebuilding. The first picture shows the original phase of the motel as it stood circa 1958.

In the 1960s the motel was expanded and a new banquet/conference center was addded, which has that spiral staircase in better days.

From what I've read the enclosed tower (and the only one to survive the 2014-2019 remodel) was added in 1971, with the Clarion name coming sometime in the 1990s (I'm guessing). Here's a picture from my 2006 Choice Hotels directory showing the hotel, which is still referred to "Clarion Town House Hotel".

During the remodel, the hotel became Carolina University Inn temporarily, and finally reopened in 2019, doubling the size of the building, becoming a dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn / Home2 Suites and removing the motel portions as well. It should be noted that the new hotels have a different address. Home2 Suites by Hilton Columbia Downtown has the address of 1210 Pickens Street while Hilton Garden Inn Columbia Downtown has the address of 1200 Pickens Street.

Shell (Smithland, Texas)

Taken July 2024 by author I incorrectly concluded that this Shell at 4911 Texas State Highway 43 was abandoned since 2004, noting that the signage (in its 2000s-era gray color) read "Premium" rather than "V-Power°" as it had been since around 2004 (It actually closed around the early 2010s). Still, that spoke to how outdated this gas station was and one only upgrades it got in decades. An even older sign, now largely overgrown, might provide some more hints to its original brand but I couldn't figure it out.

Luckily, we have Vintage Aerial to help us out for these sorts of things. It was indeed a Shell dating back at least to 1990.

(This is the first post on the blog.)