Upton is a community where people wave to each other and to those just passing through. It is a town that rests easily at the crossroads of a dynamic area where family run businesses lead the way. Hawke’s Service Station in the middle of town is the hangout for a rotating cast of men who stop in to pass the day.
Owner Ronald Hawke moves easily between the conversation inside and a new conversation outside as he welcomes customers to the full-service station. William Choate and Delmer Priddy live nearby and typically stop by twice a day to sit for a while. Thelbert Riggs waves as he grabs a Coke from the machine out front. Elvey Lee “Buzzard” Butler comes by later in the day to smoke a few cigarettes and sweep the floors. In the winter when outdoor work is less likely, the crowd swells and it is standing room only inside the station.
In this town of about 700 people, being a full-service station was Ronald’s choice. He believes it’s difficult for the elderly to do it themselves, and easier for families to just stay in the car. He said he just wants his customers to feel at home.
