I did a U-turn when I spotted this old Elfrink Truck Line trailer off the road outside Marble Hill.
Actually, I did an O-turn. I passed it on my way to shoot something else, remarked to Mother that I wanted to take a picture of it on our way back, then overshot it, requiring me to make a second U-turn. (You can click on the photos to make them larger.)
Elfrink a big name on the road
This ad in Cape’s 1956 Sesquicentennial book lists the towns serviced by the truck line.
Long-time employees
A quick Google search didn’t turn up much useful history about the company. The trailer’s owner said he thought the company closed its doors in the early 90s when the drivers wanted to unionize. I didn’t see any stories that supported or contested that view.
The company was still in business Feb. 8, 1987, when it took out a Missourian ad congratulating the Boy Scouts for being around 77 years.
Here are some obits of employees who had been with Elfrink.
- Gerald Elfrink, more than 35 years
- Luther Burns, Jr.
- Joseph H. Tenholder, 38 years
- John Joseph East, Jr., sales and claims for 25 years
- Raymond M. Nichols, Sr., retired in 1979
- Sylvester Elfrink, co-owner of Elfrink Truck lines for 40 years
UPDATE to story
A reader provided this tidbit from the Aug. 30, 1993, Missourian: “Elfrink Truck Lines, headquartered at Advance, has been sold. Wintz Freightways Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., recently announced purchase of the 50-year-old Elfrink company. “Service will remain the same and customers probably won’t notice any change,” said Steve Elfrink from the Advance office. Wintz, in a wire-service report, said the purchase included assets of 300 trailers and the terminal network. Several of the Elfrink employees will be retained, the report said. Wintz operates 22 terminals in 14 states.”
Another point of interest: two folks have asked where they can find the pickup truck in the photo. I’m sorry I didn’t get the name of the business where it was parked, but it’s near Marble Hill on 34 west of Main street about halfway to Woodland School. If anyone gets the name of the place, let me know and I’ll add it to the story. A bunch of nice guys work there.
Once again, you’ve found a topic that I should have done a story on long ago, Ken. Elfrink Truck Line was a big part of Advance before I became a reporter.
I don’t even know where to start…the obituaries??
Nothing makes me happier than to have a local reporter chase after a story I’ve done.
I was going to blow in Fred Lynch’s ear about a couple of stories I’ve run across that I’m not going to do. They are borderline in your area. I may put them up to the highest bidder.
A reader provided this tidbit from the Aug. 30, 1993, Missourian: “Elfrink Truck Lines, headquartered at Advance, has been sold. Wintz Freightways Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., recently announced purchase of the 50-year-old Elfrink company. “Service will remain the same and customers probably won’t notice any change,” said Steve Elfrink from the Advance office. Wintz, in a wire-service report, said the purchase included assets of 300 trailers and the terminal network. Several of the Elfrink employees will be retained, the report said. Wintz operates 22 terminals in 14 states.”
I’ll update the story.
Great topic, shaking the cobwebs of my memory. I seem to remember George Kimball owning a truck line, was it Elfrink’s? They had a terminal on Independence, across the street and near Clark Street where you turn into Town Plaza. The rail line crossed Independence at that location. I could be all wrong as that is going back a ways, probably 50 years or more.
Ken;
I am doing a U-turn too. The more I think about it, I am wondering if ABF (Arkansas Best Freight) bought out Elfrink. I am now thinking George Kimball owned a different freight line for awhile.
Bill, Kimball Truck Lines was a separate company entirely from Elfrink. The location that you cite on Independence for Kimball is correct.
Another local truck line that has disappeared as well was Tucker Truck Lines. They had a terminal on North Spring Street, along the north side of Bessie Street.
Also I think another one was Campbell Trucking. It had a camel logo with the words “Humping to Please”
Elfrink truck line was owned and operated by my uncle Ted and his brothers. My uncle ran the terminal in St Louis Mo. His brothers, Virgil operated the terminals in Cape on Kingshighway. They also had a terminal in Advance Sylvester ran it. They mostly did local deliveries. They had a problem with the longer trailers were allowed and they did not want to update there fleet. I think Virgil’s son Owen took over management in Cape for awhile. My guess if the truck is parked on 34 it is one of the kids of Sylvester’s or Virgil’s own the property. None of my cousins live in southeast Mo.
One of the Elfrink Truck Line owner’s son, Jack Elfrink and I were roomates living on South Spanish in Cape in the mid 1970’s going to school. For those that remember, we were in what we called Delores’ apartments. Jack has been a college level accounting teacher and college department head for over 35 years. The family sold the truck line in the late 70’s or early 80’s. By the way, Campbell Express was out of Springfield and had a camel called “snortin nortin, humpin to please” as their logo.
My dad worked for the old Kimble Truck line which was located at the se corner of Independence and West End Boulevard. It was sold to Delta truck lines which moved to Independence and Kingshighway. It was then bought by ABF truck lines who moved to the Nash Road. I think they are still there in some capacity.
Kimble, Trucker and Elfrink all Truck Lines centered in Cape. Hope we get more info on these.
My dad worked for Kimbel, Tucker and Elfrink…..he was office manager. All were great people to work for. When I was born the Kimbels bought me a high chair which my grands have all used and I still have. Tuckers was also on Independence by Landgraf Lumber…now it is the old Thorngate_Blair area. I use to go to work with my dad in the evenings if he had to go back…I learned to use a typewriter and a teletype machine. I could go in the back and look through any damaged merchandise to see if there was anything I wanted to wag home! My dad finished he career with Elfrink and they were wonderful to my parents! He also spent time with 2 other lines Pothasnick and Rider…not Ryder. I got my love of offices with my dad!
It was nice to find this article this evening.
The trailer in the picture is trailer number 22. It has been at that location for many years
My Uncle Dave Elfrink was son to the founder of Elfrink Truck Line. He told me that his dad had a store in Leopold & was having trouble getting supplys for his self’s& the farmers where needing to get there cows to st.Louis. So he came up with the idea to haul cattle 1 way & pick up supply’s for his store & a store in Advance & Zalma & it all started @ the general store in Leopold around 1914ish.
Im looking for photos of there old OLD trucks & forsure history Amnny help is welcomed
My mom’s grand father or great grand father sold Elfrink their trucking authority. His name was Lockhart. In that day you had to have trucking authority to operate a truck line. My mom, Sandy Rhodes, has a picture of the Lockhart truck. She would probably give you a copy. Call her at 573-568-3381.
My Uncle Dave Elfrink was son to the founder of Elfrink Truck Line. He told me that his dad had a store in Leopold & was having trouble getting supplys for his self’s & the farmers where needing to get there cows to st.Louis. So he came up with the idea to haul cattle 1 way & pick up supply’s for his store & a store in Advance & a store Zalma & it all started @ the general store in Leopold around 1914ish.
Im looking for photos of there old OLD trucks & forsure history of ELFRIN TRUCK LINES Any help is welcomed
Hi everyone, I collect trucking freight patches if you know of anyone with a Elfrink patch i would be glad to buy it from you or any other companies. Thanks and keep up the good work.
looking for a Elfrink trucking hat or shirt patch i’m a collector of freight patches be gladly to buy them Thanks a lot.
Just ran across an Elfrink scratch pad I obtained while Traffic Manager at Stupp Bros. Bridge&Iron in St. Louis.
The motto on the pad is “We Give Service, Not Excuses!”
I’ve been running across all kinds of things like that in Dad’s files. There are a lot of familiar names, logos and slogans in there.
My buddy Norbert Woloszyn from New York and I Frank Lamitola were attending Parks College in Cahokia Illinois back in 1972 thru 1974 and somehow we met the Elfrink family. I can’t remember how that first meeting took place now and I can’t talk to Norbert because he past on May 22, this year but after that fist meeting the both of us would stop by the Elfrink home each time we would return to Cahokia from Christmas brake for at least three years. For that period we became family. I still remember what a wonderful time we would have sitting around their table on our visits.
They were the nicest people to visit with and we stopped at their home three times until we graduated and had to move on to find our place in the working world. I moved to Maryland to work at the Naval Air Station at Patuxant River, and Norbert found a job in Seattle with the Boeing Aircraft Co.
Thanks for this post. It brings to mind all fun we had with the Elfrink family 49 years ago.