Today's post is a slightly souped-up and focused version of this post (permanent archived version). For many years, the State Highway 105 East exit was memorable because if it was taken, it was usually the first big sign that we were on a big trip. Houston and Galveston still continued down Highway 6 and if we were even in Navasota to begin with there was at least something special going on. I had mentioned back at Brazos Buildings & Businesses those points that when crossed meant we were officially on a trip, but even when that line went from Rock Prairie Road to William D. Fitch Parkway, this exit meant that it was some place special—for years, it would be something like a road trip to Baton Rouge or Florida, or even in later years something a bit closer to home, like the Renaissance Festival. (All those things between here and there will be future posts) and even in my last road trip to Florida, I still took Highway 105 (though got off at the 249 exit). Nowadays it makes me a bit sad to see the area increasingly developed with Jack in the Box, Chicken Express, and a Starbucks at that corner (yet Navasota still lacks Taco Bell).
Today's subject is Hi-Ho, a Shell station that originally had the address of 1831 South Loop 6 but changed to 1921 Texas 105. Hi-Ho was there since 1994 but repaved and rebuilt its Shell gas canopy and around 2008-2009 (nearly looked like a new store), and then did a big expansion around 2017 (truck fueling and a store expansion including a back entrance) to compete with the new Stripes (now 7-Eleven) across the street. Other changes, like making the frontage roads one way and adding turnaround lanes, came around this same era.
Hi-Ho predated the gas station at the southeast corner (Circle H, later rebuilt as Circle T, no relation) and was the first thing at that intersection, so it holds some nostalgia value, and seeing the Shell sign after traveling on Highway 105 returning meant that home was one step closer. Hi-Ho survived, at one point in the late 2000s or early 2010s a car ran into the store (this was before the expansion). But things are changing once more, and Hi-Ho may turn into just another gas station consumed by TxDOT expansion.
In the future we will be covering the long journey from Highway 105 to Florida (besides what has already been covered)...not all at once, there are a variety of other entries I wish to cover. There won't be a special tag for it, but I'll bring it up and link posts.
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