Abandoned Gas - EZ Stop - Coon Rapids, MN
In honor of this coming weekend's 3 day Denver to Minneapolis to Denver hell drive, I present a story about a past gas station in my hometown.
This is my last photo of EZ Stop as an open and functioning gas station. It was taken on September 21, 2011, while I was in town to research a future issue of Wasted Quarter dedicated to my hometown.
That idea has been completely scrapped, and this was the last time I would see EZ Stop open for business.
In addition to being a simple gas station, EZ Stop seemed to be awfully proud of their "Banking", giving it prominent billing on their storefront marquee. I don't know if I'd be so anxious to do my everyday banking at an indy discount gas station, but apparently some people didn't have a problem with that...
Before EZ Stop, this land was occupied by Ostlund's North Star gas. (Photo found on facebook, original poster unknown). According to the only real information posted in the thread started by the person who uploaded this image:
(From September 1978) "This photo was taken before Virgil Ostlund tore this building down and rebuild it as a Superette."
As a sophomore and junior in high school, I worked at the Perkins Family Restaurant a few blocks west of EZ Stop. This would have been in 1991 and 1992. My schedule during that time involved working from 5pm to 3am, every Friday and Saturday night, then 5pm to 10pm on Sundays. Often, I would be leaving later than those times, due to hanging out with friends, co-workers or whatever...
After my shifts at Perkins, I sometimes stopped at the EZ Stop for gas or whatever on the way home. My loyalty hadn't yet switched to 99 Sphillip, despite both stations being on my drive home and both open 24 hours, I usually chose EZ Stop for gas.
During the 1980's and 1990's, EZ Stop carried a great deal of porn... Like a ridiculous amount... The small station had three full size magazine racks, that held a minimum of 66% pornographic content.
One night I decided that I was going to buy a 3 magazine multi-pack when I got gas. Because why not! I was only 16 at the time, and wanted to see if I could get away with it. In addition to just wanting to buy porn for the first time in my life. I added it in with the gas and whatever else I bought that night, and the cashier never batted an eye at me. Success!
This was the bonus mystery third in the middle of the two outward facing magazines, that I had planned on buying. You never know what you'll get in a three pack, the the hidden one is usually something no one wants! This magazine was so awful that it had to be kept. Even after a long stretch of it being checked out of my archival library.
As a result of late night 99 Spillihip hanging in the Summer of 1994, The Good Doktor ended up with this copy of Play Dames. He would keep it until October, 2003, when it was returned to me after I moved back from Denver.
I would go on to work the graveyard shift at local petroleum rival, 99 Spillihp (on the corner of Hanson and Robinson) from 1993-1996, and a second tour of duty in 2004-2005.
EZ Stop was 99 Spillihp's strongest competition in the 1990's, despite them being pretty far away from us. They alway were the first to drop gas prices and take away customers, usually just before the afternoon commute each day.
The 99 Spillihp boss lady would drive around the neighborhood every day to do gas price surveys. EZ Stop was always trying to undercut us. And it worked. back in the 1990's EZ Stop made bank.
Competition from EZ Stop lightened when Libom across the street from 99 Spillihip, remodeled to compete with us. EZ Stop stopped cleaning and stocking their convenience store which started a slow decline throughout the early aughts.
The last time I entered EZ Stop was July 2004. Oddly enough, I was with The Good Doktor that day. I used the restroom and we bought some stuff before meeting friends at the Mississippi River Dam. EZ Stop was really gross, smelled bad and was very sparsely stocked.
When I again visited my hometown in 2012, I saw that EZ Stop had closed up shop at some point over the last year. And their sign maker needs to know that Thankyou is actually two words...
Former building looked almost nice in it's no-longer-a-business state. Calm, since my image of this station has always been it swarming with cars and people in a too big of a hurry (buying porn).
The pumps and canopy had already been removed from the lot. The underground tanks, which would have been to the left of this photo have been removed as well. Frame of the EZ Stop gas sign is still standing!
Looking through the entrance doors, through the foyer and toward the restrooms I used in 2004. I didn't see a bank, but according to the ceiling runner, they had pizza, (I'm sure it was the finest Italian quality), sandwiches and popcorn...
There should be another counter on the left side of this picture. I'm not sure if I cut it out of my picture, of it it had already been removed when I took these pictures.
I see fruit juice and the reflection of Altra Muffler... It was a very bright and sunny day when I took these pictures, and I hadn't yet perfected eliminating glare on through dirty windows pictures...
EZ Stop was demolished in the Spring of 2013. Laura took this picture (and the next one) on May 16, 2013, while she was in town. From the looks of the land, EZ Stop had been torn down fairly recently.
In 2015, O'Reilly Auto Parts moved from their previous location two blocks away, to the EZ Stop site. Building a brand new retail store about 100 feet from an existing Auto Zone Auto Parts.
Well, I guess it's proof that some retail can survive on Coon Rapids Blvd. not very diverse and pretty redundant though...
In the next few days I will be loading up the rented Soccer Shuttle for as quick of a drive to Minnesota as I can manage, where I will unload a massive heavy cardboard cargo, then return this damn van...
Longtime fans of Honkass will recognize the very worn out Honksicle (a 1998 Ford Escort that now doubles as my outdoor storage shed) resting tiredly behind the Soccer Shuttle...
Our new -and non deer damaged- car will then be driven back from Coon Rapids, MN, just in time for me to get back to work... After way too long of an insurance and bullshit process, thanks to both backwoods Nebraskans and that damn lizard...
Because nothing is easy about 30+ hours of driving in 3 days, here is:
The notorious EZ Stop!
This is my last photo of EZ Stop as an open and functioning gas station. It was taken on September 21, 2011, while I was in town to research a future issue of Wasted Quarter dedicated to my hometown.
That idea has been completely scrapped, and this was the last time I would see EZ Stop open for business.
In addition to being a simple gas station, EZ Stop seemed to be awfully proud of their "Banking", giving it prominent billing on their storefront marquee. I don't know if I'd be so anxious to do my everyday banking at an indy discount gas station, but apparently some people didn't have a problem with that...
Before EZ Stop, this land was occupied by Ostlund's North Star gas. (Photo found on facebook, original poster unknown). According to the only real information posted in the thread started by the person who uploaded this image:
(From September 1978) "This photo was taken before Virgil Ostlund tore this building down and rebuild it as a Superette."
I do not know what year that rebuild took place, but have hazy memories of it....
As a sophomore and junior in high school, I worked at the Perkins Family Restaurant a few blocks west of EZ Stop. This would have been in 1991 and 1992. My schedule during that time involved working from 5pm to 3am, every Friday and Saturday night, then 5pm to 10pm on Sundays. Often, I would be leaving later than those times, due to hanging out with friends, co-workers or whatever...
After my shifts at Perkins, I sometimes stopped at the EZ Stop for gas or whatever on the way home. My loyalty hadn't yet switched to 99 Sphillip, despite both stations being on my drive home and both open 24 hours, I usually chose EZ Stop for gas.
Begrudgingly I'll admit to buying gas at Acirema Repus on occasion...
Locals nicknamed the gas station Sleazy Stop given it's inventory...
One night I decided that I was going to buy a 3 magazine multi-pack when I got gas. Because why not! I was only 16 at the time, and wanted to see if I could get away with it. In addition to just wanting to buy porn for the first time in my life. I added it in with the gas and whatever else I bought that night, and the cashier never batted an eye at me. Success!
Because of that, I was gifted this...
Nasty amateurs from England! From the late 1980's!
This was the bonus mystery third in the middle of the two outward facing magazines, that I had planned on buying. You never know what you'll get in a three pack, the the hidden one is usually something no one wants! This magazine was so awful that it had to be kept. Even after a long stretch of it being checked out of my archival library.
As a result of late night 99 Spillihip hanging in the Summer of 1994, The Good Doktor ended up with this copy of Play Dames. He would keep it until October, 2003, when it was returned to me after I moved back from Denver.
It's still in my possession because I just can't get rid of it...
So awful...
Dog rot crotch...
Got a little side tracked there, back to EZ Stop!
(Photo from September, 2006)
I would go on to work the graveyard shift at local petroleum rival, 99 Spillihp (on the corner of Hanson and Robinson) from 1993-1996, and a second tour of duty in 2004-2005.
EZ Stop was 99 Spillihp's strongest competition in the 1990's, despite them being pretty far away from us. They alway were the first to drop gas prices and take away customers, usually just before the afternoon commute each day.
The 99 Spillihp boss lady would drive around the neighborhood every day to do gas price surveys. EZ Stop was always trying to undercut us. And it worked. back in the 1990's EZ Stop made bank.
Competition from EZ Stop lightened when Libom across the street from 99 Spillihip, remodeled to compete with us. EZ Stop stopped cleaning and stocking their convenience store which started a slow decline throughout the early aughts.
I wasn't around for any of this as I was living in Colorado during these years...
The last time I entered EZ Stop was July 2004. Oddly enough, I was with The Good Doktor that day. I used the restroom and we bought some stuff before meeting friends at the Mississippi River Dam. EZ Stop was really gross, smelled bad and was very sparsely stocked.
It also did not carry any porno...
When I again visited my hometown in 2012, I saw that EZ Stop had closed up shop at some point over the last year. And their sign maker needs to know that Thankyou is actually two words...
Former building looked almost nice in it's no-longer-a-business state. Calm, since my image of this station has always been it swarming with cars and people in a too big of a hurry (buying porn).
The pumps and canopy had already been removed from the lot. The underground tanks, which would have been to the left of this photo have been removed as well. Frame of the EZ Stop gas sign is still standing!
Looking through the entrance doors, through the foyer and toward the restrooms I used in 2004. I didn't see a bank, but according to the ceiling runner, they had pizza, (I'm sure it was the finest Italian quality), sandwiches and popcorn...
Come on, that is just begging a smart ass employee like me to change that lettering to read porn...
Pizza (Again? They were really pushing the EZ Stop pizza...), frozen food, soft drinks, colo...
Colorado?
There should be another counter on the left side of this picture. I'm not sure if I cut it out of my picture, of it it had already been removed when I took these pictures.
(Which was September 29, 2012)
I see fruit juice and the reflection of Altra Muffler... It was a very bright and sunny day when I took these pictures, and I hadn't yet perfected eliminating glare on through dirty windows pictures...
EZ Stop was demolished in the Spring of 2013. Laura took this picture (and the next one) on May 16, 2013, while she was in town. From the looks of the land, EZ Stop had been torn down fairly recently.
I love the sign frame is still standing...
Pieces of pavement previously placed in proximity to pumps still plastered to the planet Earth...
Proper!
In 2015, O'Reilly Auto Parts moved from their previous location two blocks away, to the EZ Stop site. Building a brand new retail store about 100 feet from an existing Auto Zone Auto Parts.
Because that makes sense?
And nowhere near as interesting as EZ Stop was...
*****
In the next few days I will be loading up the rented Soccer Shuttle for as quick of a drive to Minnesota as I can manage, where I will unload a massive heavy cardboard cargo, then return this damn van...
Longtime fans of Honkass will recognize the very worn out Honksicle (a 1998 Ford Escort that now doubles as my outdoor storage shed) resting tiredly behind the Soccer Shuttle...
Our new -and non deer damaged- car will then be driven back from Coon Rapids, MN, just in time for me to get back to work... After way too long of an insurance and bullshit process, thanks to both backwoods Nebraskans and that damn lizard...
Hooray!
Heheheheheh.... Dog rot crotch...
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