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10 | November 8, 2018 | The wilmette beacon NEWS wilmettebeacon.com BOUTIQUE EXCLUSIVES for the Cozy Sophisticate eberjey pluto iora diamond tea bedhead pj salvage canat hanro lawrence tavernier cosabella samantha chang pj harlow eileen west p.jamas cat’s pajamas love + grace 1515 Sheridan Road | Plaza Del Lago | C-Lace.com | 847-256-8077 Wilmette’s Shawnee Service Center continues putting customers first Business opened up in 1916 Hilary Anderson Freelance Reporter Few businesses can say they are in their second century of service to the community. One of them is Wilmette’s Shawnee Service Center, now into its second century of caring for customer’s cars, marking 102 years and counting. “George Schaefer started the business then known as Linden Auto Service in 1916,” said Peter Marvin, current owner. “It opened at 332 Linden, Wilmette where we are now.” It later became known as the Shawnee Garage. Marvin said his father, Sam Marvin, took over the business in 1935 and had a partner, Al Rodenkirk. The business moved around the corner in the 1940s to 515 4th St. “I started working on weekends in 1945 for my dad,” Marvin said. “I remember my dad waking me up on a Saturday morning and saying, ‘Get up you are going to work with me.’ I would sweep floors and do whatever other chores he assigned.” Marvin recalled how the Shawnee Garage during those early years was truly a full-service business. “We sold gas, washed and even stored customers cars in our building,” Marvin said. “It truly was a garage for many. Customers would call and ask us to bring them their car. We made sure it was clean, had gas in it and was warmed up in winter. It was a different world Employee Rogers Phillps (left) and Pete Marvin, owner of Wilmette’s Shawnee Service Center. Phillips has worked there for more than 50 years. Hilary Anderson/22nd Century Media then.” The business moved back to its current location in the 1960s. “We never owned the property on 4th Street but the person who did wanted us out so he could build stores from Linden to the alley, which are still there,” Marvin said. “We found this building we are in but it was not for sale at the time. A realtor helped us purchase it.” The current Shawnee Service Center building looked much different today than when they purchased it. “It went all the way to the sidewalk,” Marvin said. “We had to cut back to make room for the gasoline pumps and driveway. We purchased property on both the east and west sides of us and made that part of our business.” One can see where the Shawnee Garage expanded its space by looking at the building’s brick walls, that once separated them from other property owners. Sam Marvin passed away in the mid-1970s and Al Rodenkirk’s son, Bob, took his place. He retired in the 1990s. “We stopped selling gas April 2003,” Marvin said. “It became too expensive to maintain the gasoline tanks and pumps. The tanks occasionally leaked and the new requirements for maintaining them increased. We did not make much money on selling gas either.” Marvin added a portion of the selling price of every gallon went into a special fund to pay for leaking tanks but it was never enough to pay for the upkeep. “It cost us somewhere between $200 and $300,000 to remove the tanks and pumps and clean up the soil around them. Sometimes those who did the tank removals and soil cleanup had to go down nearly 20 feet before they found uncontaminated soil. Gas station owners occasionally had to buy clean soil to replace contaminated soil. “We found original tanks from the 1920s and 1930s that were covered over with soil,” he said. “It took about a year to remove the pumps and tanks and do the cleanup.” Marvin has seen many changes in cars over the Please see Shawneee, 14
wilmettebeacon.com wilmette the wilmette beacon | November 8, 2018 | 11 Congratulations to Principal Kristen Fink and the teachers and staff of Sacred Heart School on being named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. You are incredible educators who go above and beyond every single day, ensuring our children develop into confident and caring lifelong learners. Your energy and passion for teaching is unmatched -- you . make us proud to call Sacred Heart School home! With gratitude from the Sacred0 Heart Parents Association educating hearts and minds since 1902
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