Osmond gas collection spans decades of history

It all began at his father's snowmobile and four-wheeler shop in town.

“He always had a restored gas pump in his office,” said Adam Rice, owner of Rice’s Rides and Body Shop. “so, naturally, ever since I was a young kid I always wanted my own gas pump. I just wanted one.”

After his time at auto body college, Adam Rice did a little searching and found his first gas pump. The next day he got another. And then another. And so on, and so on, and so on.

“People drive by on highway 20, we have people stop from time to time and ‘oh, we had a Deep Rock station in our hometown,’ or ‘oh I remember having the Sinclair HC gas!’”

Rice’s Rides and Body Shop in Osmond became became a veritable museum for gas station paraphernalia of yore. It’s an iconic landmark for the town, its walls lined with a history that is becoming ever more scarce.

“In the 20s and 30s, there is a lot of small jobbers, independent mom and pops that had their own small oil company that got bought out by the bigger fish as it went on,” Rice said.

Rice’s grandparents operated a gas station three miles west of town in the 1930s through the 40s. His collection also acts as a memento of his own family’s history in the business.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Rice said “And it’s neat to be able to become a home decorator with gas and oil, per se, but it’s fun.”

And he’s not kidding about home decoration. Even his own garage is lined with gas pumps, posters, pictures and other pieces.

The wife... does not approve.

“I don’t think she likes gas pumps,” Rice said with a chuckle. “But that’s alright!”