Travel to the Past With
Campbell’s Collection
Duane Campbell’s passion for service station memorabilia can be traced back to his time as a child.
His uncle worked for Phillips 66 in the 1930s and 1940s, and Duane clearly remembers climbing up in his uncle’s Phillips 66 truck. Duane was just five or six at the time, but he was so enamored with the business that his uncle even made a little Phillips 66 toy tank for him to pull behind his bicycle.
Collected With Care
It wasn’t until the early 1980s when Duane had the chance to dive more fully into learning about and collecting service station items.
A tall visible pump was the first piece Duane and his daughter brought home. They brought the dilapidated pump back to southern Missouri and found area craftsmen to help Duane restore the pump to its former glory.
Curated With Care
A Family Passion
Duane and his family continued to curate his collection, attending swap meets and going to auctions. Over the years, word got around that the Campbells collected historical service station items and oftentimes people would reach out directly to Duane about pieces they had or came across.
He also enjoyed researching the pieces and the companies. Duane often called petroleum or service companies directly to see if they could shed some light on a piece. This led to many friendships, including one with the historian at Conoco-Phillips who sent Duane a large volume on the history of the company to aid his research. When he happened across a Pankey sign, Duane called the area’s chamber of commerce who put him in touch with the company’s owner’s niece. She sent him photos and letters with information about the company’s origin and her uncle.
Years Of Memories On Display
These are just a few of the stories about Duane Campbell’s collection, the passion he has for it and the people he met while building it.
A visit to Campbell’s Service Station, where the collection is housed and on view, offers greater insight into individual pieces and the history behind them.
Duane and his family have years of memories from putting together the collection and the people these pieces connected them to. They are now thrilled that the collection will stay together and be on display right on Route 66 for more people to enjoy and learn from.
Come See The Collection For Yourself!