Well, I don't know about Sandra, but thanks for correcting me about the underground tanks. Never seen one except at big operations (300 acres of dryland wheat might qualify, though). Always good to know that experiences and observations are not necessarily facts. 

Jeff

Jeffrey L. Boyer
Supervisory Archaeologist/Project Director
Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico

  *   mail: P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
  *   physical: 407 Galisteo Street, Suite B-100, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
  *   tel: 505.827.6387 fax: 505.827.3904
  *   e-mail: [log in to unmask]

"This is no time for archaeologizing . . ." - Amelia Peabody Emerson (The Curse of the Pharoahs, Elizabeth Peters)

________________________________________
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Catherine Dickson [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 5:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Question about farmstead gas pumps

Sorry, I have nothing to contribute about dating pumps, but I have to disagree about the idea that only really big farming operations have underground tanks.  My neighbor farms about 300 acres of dry land wheat in Oregon.  She has two underground storage tanks (in different places--one for gas and one for diesel) with pumps just like at gas stations.  Except some collector just took the old style ones and gave her new ones.  She also has a tank mounted on her truck so she doesn't have to bring the tractor in to the pump each time she needs to fill up.
Catherine Dickson
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation


> Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:11:03 +0000
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Question about farmstead gas pumps
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Sandra,
> Wish I could help with a reference for the pump -- I'm presuming you mean the hand nozzle, yes? Or do you mean the above-ground box that housed a pump? I do know that most farms and ranches did not and do not have underground tanks, except, perhaps for REALLY big outfits (even then?). Underground tanks are VERY expensive to install, more so to remove, and there are a host of regulations for them, even before the days of environmental laws. Above-ground tanks are mounted on stands of a variety of sorts, mostly depending on the size and full-weight of the tank. They are often gravity-fed, so the nozzle only regulates flow. In fact, I'd suggest you look at the attached url and contact the museum owner/director, Johnnie Meier, for more info, (http://www.route66university.com/study/inthenews/498.php), because I'm pretty sure that the nozzle is never actually a pump device but only regulates flow. I know of this little museum because it's between my home and work. There may similar
> ones near you in CA. In fact, I just googled "gas pump museum" and got a lot of hits, including: http://www.oldgas.com/visit.htm, which lists a remarkable number of museums and collections.
> Buena suerte,
>
> Jeff
>
> Jeffrey L. Boyer
> Supervisory Archaeologist/Project Director
> Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico
>
> * mail: P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
> * physical: 407 Galisteo Street, Suite B-100, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
> * tel: 505.827.6387 fax: 505.827.3904
> * e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> "This is no time for archaeologizing . . ." - Amelia Peabody Emerson (The Curse of the Pharoahs, Elizabeth Peters)
>
> ________________________________________
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Pentney, Sandra [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 11:32 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Question about farmstead gas pumps
>
> Does anyone know of a reference that can be used to date a certain type
> of gas pump? We found a partial gas pump on a farm in rural California
> and are trying to determine how old it may be and if it would have been
> associated with either an above ground storage tank, or a below ground
> storage tank. No evidence of a tank was found during survey.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Sandra.
>
>
>
> Sandra Pentney, MA, RPA
>
> Ecology and Environment, Inc.
>
> 401 West A Street, Suite 775, San Diego, CA 92101
>
> Phone: 619-696-0578 Ext: 4903| Fax: 619-696-0578
>
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