Deem Photos
From Walt Wimer:Here are two DEEM station photos from the early 60s. DEEM didn't start out as a Florida brand
as the founder originally had a chain of some sort in St. Louis that he sold to Derby sometime
in the 50s. Mr. Deem then moved to Florida, and as several other Private Branders have done,
started a second DEEM chain in the late 1950s. His chain extended up the coast of Florida to
the central part of the state and west over to Orlando. He had little, if anything, on the west
coast of the state as I remember.. I never had any station totals but my old 1958-60 Florida
records show I saw no less than 20, so lets say he had 20-30 sites at the height of his second
chain. Not too long after I took the 1961 photo Deem sold off most, if not all of their stations
to Humble. This was at that point in time that Humble was buying up Private Brands all over the
south to make up for all the lost gallon when Standard of Calif. took over Standard of Kentucky.
In addition to his gas stations, Mr. Deem also had one or more good sized drug stores. One was
only five minutes from where I lived during the short 1963-65 period I lived in Ft. Lauderdale.
During that time I stopped there often and there was a big DEEM logo on the floor at the entrance.
After the sell-off to Humble, I know he also had a big pumper car wash on Sunrise Blvd. in Ft.
Lauderdale that I think sold PHILLIPS 66 gasoline. After I left Florida in 1966, I lost track
of Deem, so have no idea what ever became of Mr. Deem or his remaining interests.
The above photo is the "office" station on Dixie Highway in Ft. Lauderdale in 1961. This was right
at the north city limits where Dixie Highway ran into Wilton Manors. The office was located behind
the station and does not show in the photo. The ID sign at the site was a one of a kind as far as
I know, as I never saw another. I would guess it was a locally made metal sign and might have been
plugged for neon.
The above shot in late 1960 was on East Colonial Blvd.(Fla. 50) in Orlando and much more typical
of DEEM sites. "Gas only" with small building, outside storage tanks, billboard signs on the lot
and a "double" sign that had the logo on one half and the price on the other (Very common type in
Florida at the time!!) That sign can be partially seen at the left of the photo.
Above are two rather scarce DEEM stamp books. They didn't have
premiums like SPUR, DIRECT, SITE and others, just cash back or free product.
GOOD COLECTING!!!!
Walt