A couple weeks ago I received an email from the great grandson of
Daniel C. Shay—yes, the visionary behind Shay Oil Company—asking me if perhaps I could do a blog on Shay Oil Co.
Well… of course.
I remember it well. We passed it every time we went to
Seneca Farms for ice cream when I was a child, and with my father being a mechanic, he had a great respect for the Shays—and always had a story or two to share.
And just like that, a simple email turned into something more… a doorway back into a piece of Penn Yan’s past that many of us remember without even realizing it.
There was a time—not so very long ago—when pulling into a gas station felt a little more like arriving than just stopping.
No glowing screens.
No swipe-and-go.
Just the hum of an engine settling, the scent of fuel in the air, and the familiar rhythm of small-town life unfolding around you.
In
1924, along Elm Street in Penn Yan, one of those places quietly opened its doors.
Shay Oil Company.
🚗 When the Road Began to Change
To understand Shay Oil Company, you have to step back into a moment when the automobile was still something of a marvel.
The 1920s marked a turning point.
Cars were no longer a novelty reserved for a few—they were becoming part of everyday life. Roads were improving. Distances were shrinking. And towns like Penn Yan, already a hub of lake travel and commerce, were beginning to feel the shift.
With that shift came a need.
Fuel.
Service.
A place to stop.
And so, Shay Oil Company found its place right there on Elm Street—meeting the moment as the world rolled forward on four wheels.
⛽ Seventeen Cents and a Handshake
Gasoline sold for about
17 cents per gallon
when the first tank of gas was pumped.
It’s the kind of number that stops you for a second… not because of the cost, but because of what it represents.
A different pace.
A different economy.
A different way of living.
By the time I remember my stopping there with my father the gas had gone up to around 29 cents.
The handshake.
Sometimes I feel like it is a lost connection.
I remember my father getting out of the car when we stopped for gas. A handshake in greeting… and a handshake before he stepped back in—after the gas was pumped, the windows washed, the oil checked, and the hearty conversation between the men came to a close.
For my father, a handshake was more than habit—it was a
silent nod of respect.
It said, I see you.
It said, your work matters.
It said, we’re on equal ground here.
There was no rush in it. No distraction. Just a firm grip and a moment of eye contact that carried more meaning than words ever could.
And places like Shay Oil Company were built on those kinds of moments.
Because back then, service wasn’t just about what was done—it was about how it was done. The care taken. The pride in the work. The simple dignity of showing up and doing right by the person in front of you.
The handshake marked both the beginning and the end of that exchange—
a quiet agreement between two people that something honest had just taken place.
And maybe that’s what we miss most.
Not just the price of gas…
but the feeling that every stop along the way came with a little bit of connection.
🏪 More Than Fuel
In those early days, a stop at a place like Shay Oil Company offered more than gasoline.
It was where you might:
- Ask about the condition of the roads ahead
- Hear about something happening in town
- Share a quick story before heading on your way
Oil, fuel, and simple supplies were part of the service—but so was conversation.
So was familiarity.
And in a growing world that was just beginning to move faster, those small moments mattered.
🧱 A Building That Remembers
The building that once housed Shay Oil Company still stands along Elm Street today.
Quiet. Unassuming.
The kind of place you might pass without a second glance… unless you know.
Unless you remember that this spot once stood at the edge of something new—
when the first wave of drivers rolled through Penn Yan, exploring Keuka Lake by road instead of rail or boat.
That this building once witnessed the early days of motion… of change… of possibility.
🛠️ A Thoughtful Revival
Today,
Tom and Debbie Podsiadlo own the property, and it now houses the offices of
Penn Yan Mini Storage. But rather than letting the past fade quietly into memory, they have done something quite meaningful—they’ve embraced it.
The century-old building has been lovingly maintained and thoughtfully shaped into an homage to the original Shay Oil Company. There’s a quiet respect in that… a recognition that what once stood here still matters. That history isn’t something to replace—but something to carry forward.
🌿 A Keuka Roots Reflection
There’s something about these stories that feels close to home.
Maybe because they remind us that progress doesn’t arrive all at once. It shows up in small places.
In local businesses.
In people willing to meet a changing world with open doors and steady hands.
Shay Oil Company was one of those places.
A quiet cornerstone of its time.
A piece of Penn Yan’s story that helped keep everything moving—literally and figuratively.
And even now…
if you slow down as you pass by…
you can almost hear it.
The click of the pump.
The murmur of voices.
The beginning of another journey.
Close your eyes for just a moment… and picture the handshakes that took place—naturally, without thought—between neighbors. The kind that meant something. The kind that welcomed newcomers not just into a business… but into a community. Into a place that felt, almost instantly, like home.
Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka.
