Author tells about iconic area gas stations

PRATT — Greensburg author Judi Kirk was the guest presenter for Pratt’s Vernon Filley Art Museum First Friday Lunch and Learn on Sept. 4, taking those attending in person, and those viewing through Zoom, on a virtual tour of iconic gas stations in Kansas and neighboring states of Oklahoma and Colorado.

She used illustrations from her two self-published books, “Remnants” and “Glimpses,” to provide visual connections for viewers.

“The story and photography were the easy part,” Kirk said. “Figuring out how to get the editing and printing done was the challenge.”

Both books were published by Mennonite Press in Newton, “Remnants” in 2015 and “Glimpses” in 2018.

The dozens of gas stations featured in the books date from 1904 through 1930, chosen by Kirk for their architecture and also for visual appeal.

Kirk said when she first started touring and photographing gas stations of by-gone eras, she didn’t have any plans for sharing them with anyone but friends.

“It was just so much fun seeking out interesting old stations and then, suddenly, I had all these pictures that I wanted to share,” said Kirk, who holds a degree in interior design from Kansas State University.

Kirk discovered one of her favorite historic gas stations in Glen Elder in northwest Kansas, fashioned after a historic castle in Luxembourg.

“It was built with limestone from sketches drawn in 1919,” Kirk said.

Pratt was represented in Kirk’s presentation by a photo of what was a former gas station situated diagonally on the northwest corner of W. Sixth Street and S. Main, which is now part of Doug Reh Chevrolet enterprises.

Also featured was what Kirk found out after the fact is her picture of the first-ever Phillips 66 gas station, located in Wichita’s Old Town.

A video of the program is available for viewing on the Vernon Filley Art Museum Facebook site.

Filley Art Museum co-director Brittany Novatny said both of Kirk’s books are available for purchase at the museum’s gift shop in person or online at http://www.vernonfilleyartmuseum.org/shop/.