Turns out that ESSO was in fact a simple linguistic branding of the initials of this company's immediate predecessor: Standard Oil. Hence, S.O. or Esso. It's a similar tactic as R.B,'s or Arby's. Several other common day oil companys today have their history steeped in the Standard Oil empire of a century ago. Another was the Socony [[Standard Oil Company of New York) Vacuum Company, which is Mobil today.

I had just noticed that the old Amoco oval and torch had recently come down from along 96 near Schaefer. For years, old Standard signs from the 1960s remained at a few gas stations, particularly large freeway signs similar to the 96/Schaefer example. One great STANDARD torch presided over the interchange of the Southfield Expressway and Joy Road for probably 40 years before the BP flower replaced it 5-7 years ago. Others were prominent up US-23 and I-75 going north. Another was at 94 and Airport Road on Jackson's west side. I have some photos of these someplace....we'll see if I can dig any up!

Union 76's did used to be everywhere. I remember as a small kid the one that was in west Dearborn at Cherry Hill and Military. The sign was so old it wasn't a orange globe but just a disc. A closed 76 is still present on Michigan Ave. in Detroit at the bend in the road near Central. Other old globes still exist in Kalamazoo and Fremont, IN. They are still very common in southern California, among other places out that way.