A look at
Minonk's past

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Sweney service station

The Sweney service station was located at the corner of Seventh and Chestnut Streets, the current site of the Minonk police station. The station was originally run by A.G. Fitzgerald who later sold the station in the mid 1940's to Elmer Timmerman shown here at the right in this photo. We think the person at the left in the photo is Johnny Hattan who later purchased the station and ran it until the middle 1960's.

The building shown here was typical of the service stations built by the Sweney Oil Company throughout Central Illinois. There was a similiar type service station in El Paso built by Sweney. The building shown in this photo was later torn down and replaced with the current building and became Johnie's DX service station run by Johnnie Hattan.

This picture is a reminder of when service stations really did provide service. In addition to the attendant filling your car with gas he would also clean your windshield and check the oil.

A miniature golf course was on this site before the service station was built.