Historic Photos

Photo of the Week, 18: 1,000 License Plates Contributed in WW II Drive

June 5th, 2013

During the Second World War, communities such as Bloomington scrounged for scrap metal to boost the war effort. This early February 1942 scene shows Eldon Quinn, Texaco service station manager, toss license plates into a recycling bin on the McLean County Courthouse Square (now known as the “Museum Square," home to the McLean County Museum of History). Eldon is the late uncle of Elmo Quinn, who's still (as of this post)* pumping gas and chatting with customers at Quinn's Shell on the corner of Main and Chestnut streets just north of downtown Bloomington.UPDATE- Elmo Quinn has now retired from his gas station, as of January 2014.

Bill Kemp

Librarian

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