
Haydu Service
Station at Robbins Avenue and North Main Street. |
Bill
Haydu Gas Station.
Full service is a phrase that has become a thing of the past but
that is not so at Haydu’s service station in downtown Niles
at 210 North Main Street. Bill Haydu eventually bought
in 1974 the building that originally housed the Rose Auto Service
back in 1933.
His interest in cars goes back many years as
depicted by the picture hanging on the wall in his establishment.
It shows Bill next to a 1937 Buick that he bought from a farmer
that was using it to pull stumps out of his yard. At age 22, he
was working for his father and going to college. He decided to
go into his father’s business. The station was located where
the Holeton Yuhasz Funeral Home parking lot is located. |

Bill Haydu with his white Thunderbird.

Previous location of Haydu Gulf
service station located at the corner of West Park Avenue and
Arlington Street near Holeton-Yuhasz Funeral Home which bought
the property to expand their parking area. ca 1974.
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In
the office area of the station there is a collection of antique
automobile memorabilia. On display in various places are oilcans,
tire jacks, gasoline signs such as Gulf, Sinclair, and Pennzoil.
There are many other artifacts that deal with cars and car maintenance
from the past.
Make sure if you use the services of Haydu and
Son that you take a peek into the office and view all the wonderful
items from years ago. You will be greeted by a smile and a friendly
manner that has been Bill Haydu’s trademark for so many
years.
The loud ‘Ding-Ding’ signal bell
alerted the garage mechanic that a car had entered the station
and needed the attendant to pump the gas, check the tires and
oil level, and clean the windshield. That was the full-service
given in the good-old-days long past to the customer who stopped
for gas.
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Car jack with gears to rotate
screw shaft. |

Display rack of oil cans. |

Oil can and various tools. |