Discovering a vintage Ashland gasoline station while traversing Kentucky’s rural routes is always a delight.
Discovering a vintage Ashland gasoline station while traversing Kentucky’s rural routes is always a delight. These stations hold a special place in my heart, especially for those of us who hail from the Ashland, Kentucky region. We often passed by the Ashland Home Office in Ashland, which later relocated to Russell, and the massive refinery in Catlettsburg.
This Ashland gasoline station is located along KY Route 192 in Laurel County and still sports the vintage Ashland logo used between 1968 and 1996.
Originating in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, the Ashland Oil & Refining Company began as a modest venture in 1924 under the leadership of Paul Blazer. Over the years, the company expanded its scope, venturing into road paving and construction, coal and oil exploration, and producing and distributing motor oils under the Valvoline brand. Additionally, it delved into chemical manufacturing and distribution. In the late 1990s, Ashland formed a joint venture with Marathon Oil, eventually leading to its departure from the oil refining and marketing sector in 2005. Ashland has also long since left its namesake hometown, decamping for Covington, and is now headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware.
