Midwest Flyer Magazine

The Lindholm Service Station in Cloquet, Minnesota, was designed by famed architect,Frank Lloyd Wright.Photo Courtesy of Lisa Bauman, The Pine Journal.The Gas StationDesigned By Frank Lloyd WrightBest Oil Company owns a gasstation in Cloquet that was designed byfamed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright,and built over 50 years ago. In fact, the“Lindholm Service Station,” namedafter John McKinney’s grandfather, hasthe distinction of being the only gasstation ever built that was designed byWright. The service station incorporatesmany of the same traits as the homesand office buildings Wright is moreknown for.The service station has a uniquetriangular canopy that covers two gaspumps and creates an arrow, whichdirects people’s eyes across the streettoward the St. Louis River. This wassubliminal. It was Wright's way ofconnecting the past with the present,with river traffic to vehicular traffic.The original sign for the stationis on top of that canopy. It's a rocketlikespire, which now displays Wright’sname in his honor.Lindholm hired Wright to buildthe service station a few years after hedesigned and built his home. One ofJohn McKinney’s brothers now lives inthat home."I think Wright probably pushedit, too, is what I'm hearing,# saidMcKinney. "Once the house was built,Wright encouraged my grandfather tobuild the station. In those days, theaverage two-bay station would cost$5,000. This gas station cost $20,000,copper roof and all.”Wright sent his apprentice, RobertPond, now 81, to oversee the buildingof the Lindholm Service Station becauseof the unusual angles.Best Oil Company got intosupplying more airports with fuelin part because John McKinney hasalways been fascinated with flyingand took flying lessons years ago andsoloed. But demands of the businessand other interests have kept him fromcompleting his training. Meanwhile, hetakes every opportunity to fly or fly ingeneral aviation aircraft.Such was the case in 2009 whenhe was invited to spend a few days atJeno Paulucci’s fishing camp in Canada.Paulucci was the founder of Jeno’sPizza Corporation and Chun Kingin Duluth, Minnesota. The companyoperated two Beech 18s and a Caravanon amphibious floats until Pauluccidied last year and the camp was sold.For additional information aboutBest Oil Company, contact JohnMcKinney at 1-800-524-4666.Best Oil Company is a proudmember of the National BusinessAviation Association (NBAA) and adistributor for Phillips 66. !"#$%&"'(!"#$%&$'($)*+,--)./(0#&1)2$(3'/+/45)6).$--',)789!"#"$%&#%'$((()*"+(,#$-./,0)12*FOR THE BEST DEAL ON A HANGAR IN SE WISCONSIN – BIG OR SMALL, HEATED OR COLDCall DAVE at Gran-Aire Inc. - 414-461-3222Timmerman Airport, Milwaukee!!!"#$%&'$!()*++",-&=/""#$%$&'(&)*')+,)-"./0.""+123)&'"456)-"+#%#718)"""'3+%4'1,5226