Gavin Brown stands below the sign being raised at the renovated Sinclair Station in Sheyenne, ND, as some of his crew looks on. (Photo submitted by Charlotte Franks-Erickson)
It’s been a long awaited phase of the Sheyenne Sinclair station renovation but on Sunday Sep. 14, 2025, it took place.
Gavin Brown, the owner and renovator of the Sinclair station in Sheyenne, had been looking for an original Sinclair sign for months. He found one in Minnesota about a year and a half ago and also found a community member of Sheyenne to pay for it.
However, much work needed to be done ahead of being able to erect it.
The exterior of the building, contacting all the necessary companies for power and sewer hook ups ,the grounds around it , cement work, painting, building cabinets, tractor and bobcat work along with all of the extensive interior work made for a “heaping” plate for Gavin, his family and the Larson family of Sheyenne who not only helped with some of the equipment needs but provided labor as well.
Dave Brown (Gavin’s dad) worked on the grounds clean up and cement work and Joanna Larson and her dad, Peter, put their heads together to come up with a plan for getting the sign erected. Gavin had some painting work to do on the sign while Joanna and Peter were scoping out the sign and measuring their equipment to see what would get the job done.
Peter built and welded up a crane arm over the weekend for his payloader so that they could reach high enough to suspend the sign with a tow strap. Ian Gilley and Gavin worked the pole into place while Peter maneuvered the “crane.”
The grounds crew of Patti, Joanna and Jon Gilley helped with the blocks and running for tools needed.
Fun fact: Gavin actually used an artifact crescent wrench he had found in the station while he was renovating, to tighten the post bolts to the pedestal. Michelle Gilley took on the whole crew and fed them for lunch once the project was completed.
Done yet?
You just wait …………….
