King City, Missouri: The Big Pump

A 1930s gas station built in the shape of a huge, red, gas pump. Regular-size pumps stand out front for your fantasy fill up photos.

At the big gas pump. Also there are giant wind turbine blades on display.

The Big Pump filling station was built in 1937 by Foster's Builders for Kyle Phares of Phares Oil. It originally didn't carry a brand name gasoline and was first a discount filling station, one of the first in the area. It later carried several brand names, the last being the CO-OP brand.

It was moved from its original site in the late '70s and purchased by Jerry Jones, who owned Jerry's Bargain Barn and moved north of town, close to his business.

The Big Pump served as a CB radio repair shop at one point and fell into disrepair.

How and why King City acquired the structure remains a mystery. However, it's good that it was saved from being destroyed and forgotten. It's definitely a piece of Americana that several wish would not have left the place of its roots. Thanks to King City for saving this structure.

Here is a photo of the Giant Gas Pump in King City, Missouri, with my '55 Packard parked in front of it for scale. The Big Pump is quite remarkable... too bad it isn't still an operational filling station!

"The Big Pump" is now located at a convenient roadside park location in King City, MO, on highway 169. This location is about 80 miles north of Kansas City. King City is the hometown of a gentleman named Rufus Limpp (now deceased) who was (I believe) an oil jobber who built the structure.