Grimes Garage - Hillsboro, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member WalksfarTX
N 32° 00.736 W 097° 07.799
14S E 676623 N 3543322
The "most famous garage in the world" was opened in Hillsboro in 1906 by Fred Grimes Sr., the first auto mechanic in the area.
Waymark Code: WMQREJ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/23/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member Math Teacher
Views: 2

From Heart of Texas Tales

At the time it opened, there were only 3 or 4 cars in the area, and another 2 or 3 passing through daily. This was not enough to sustain the business and it soon closed.

But by 1913, the automobile had become more prevalent throughout the country, and Grimes Garage reopened. Besides replacing parts in his garage, Fred learned the machinist trade and made unavailable parts in his shop when necessary. At this time, automobiles arrived at the local dealers in parts and had to be assembled locally. Grimes would provide this service for $5 per car, later raising this to $7.50 per car. He also began the first wrecker service in Hill County.

Before Interstate 35, Waco Street in front of the garage was the major road between Dallas and Waco, and Hillsboro was a major transportation intersection point. Grimes worked hard to actively promote the highways that went through town, and he and others were successful getting these roads into the Old King of Trails association. This in turn led the Texas Highway Department, begun in 1917, to select Hill County as one of the first areas to see state-funded road improvements.

With 14 gas pumps, a machine shop, a repair shop, a tire store, 20 employees and free soft drinks to any customer who had to wait more than 30 seconds for service, Grimes Garage became the Neiman-Marcus of garages. Maids, dressed in white uniforms, greeted customers with ice water and ushered them into the first lounge and restrooms ever located in a service station.

Street address:
110 N. Waco Street
Hillsboro, TX USA
76645


County / Borough / Parish: Hill

Year listed: 1984

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event

Periods of significance: 1900-1924

Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Transportation

Current function: Commerce/Trade, Transportation

Privately owned?: yes

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Hours of operation: Not listed

Secondary Website 2: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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WalksfarTX visited Grimes Garage - Hillsboro, TX 08/17/2024 WalksfarTX visited it