1950s Joliet Gas Station Offers Historic Route 66 Nostalgia: Photos

JOLIET, IL —Gas stations are gas stations — they're all the same, right? Not so, especially for customers who pass Joliet's intersection of Broadway and Theodore Streets. This is where Terry Lambert has turned his family's gas station into Lambert 1957 Mobil & Convenience Store.

The north wall of his building is a giant mural showing what the Standard station looked like in the 1950s. For motorists passing through Joliet during their historic Route 66 tour across America, Lambert 1957 is a must place to stop, especially for a photo-op.

The inside of Lambert 1957 is filled with a photo collage showing the transformation of the Joliet gas station over the decades.

And get this, Lambert 1957 even grinds and blends its own coffee brand for customers.

"We are honoring Helen's dedication by making her the face of our Lambert 1957 special blend premium coffee. It was inspired by Helen. She was a consistent coffee drinker who enjoyed a nice cup of coffee," the display reads. "The year 1957 is when Dan and Helen opened this business. We remember that year and incorporate 1957 in many ways throughout the store. This includes the name of our signature premium coffee blend, Lambert 1957."

Another display inside the convenient store lets customers know the entire history of Lambert 1957, beginning with February 1957, when Dan and Helen Lambert opened their first business, a Standard Oil service station at the Joliet corner of Broadway and Theodore.

"It remains in their family to this day, 65 years later," the sign proclaims.

Other important historical footnotes are documented on the signage displays inside the store.

By 1982, Standard Oil, which became the Amoco Oil Company, tore down the original 1957 building and introduced the first fuel pumper for the Joliet area. The pumper featured three fuel islands and a 120-square-foot bullet-resistant building called a kiosk.

In 1993, Dan and Helen Lambert sold their business to their sons, Jim and Terry. That year, Amoco tore down the tiny bullet-proof kiosk and constructed a fourth fuel island, plus a 2,000-square-foot convenient store and car wash on the property.

In 2021, under Terry Lambert's direction, his gas station underwent another dramatic facelift. He removed the car wash and gutted the inside of the store, allowing him to double the size of the original convenient store.

"The inside of this building serves as a tribute to Dan and Helen Lambert for their decades of association with Standard Oil and Amoco Oil and their hard work and dedication to their family," the Lambert 1957 display reads.

At a time when most Joliet area gas stations charge motorists at least $1.75 to inflate your tires for a few minutes of air, Lambert 1957 is old school.

Terry Lambert provides free air. His inflatable air pressure pump is a free courtesy for everyone. You don't even need to buy gas or coffee or soda to use it.