Gilmore Oil Company

His son, Earl Bell Gilmore, took over the family business and expanded its distribution network which, at its peak, operated over three thousand gas stations on the West Coast.

Arthur Fremont Gilmore moved to California in the 1870s and, with another farmer Julius Carter, established a dairy farm in Compton.

In 1880, they acquired a 256-acre (104 ha) tract of James Thompson, who had gone bankrupt, and established another dairy farm.

This initially hosted midget car racing and then added boxing matches and the Los Angeles Bulldogs football team.

Other attractions on Gilmore Island included specialty shops at The Dell, a drive-in theater and the Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

An old Gilmore filling station, preserved at the Farmer's Market
Arthur and Earl Gilmore with the staff of Gilmore Oil around 1914. Earl is leaning against the automobile with a roof while his father stands next to him with his hand on the fender of a Model T . [ 1 ]