Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an urban description of a small town [apart from its filling station, such a town holds no use or appeal to a passing city-dweller].

1927

1930194019501960

1966

1927		C. Samolar ‘Argot of the Vagabond’ in AS II:9 389: The advent of gasoline as a substitute for oats has brought the expressions filling-station to take the place of tank town or jerkwater.
1936		Mencken Amer. Lang. (4th edn) 582: In the old days a small town used to be a tank or a jerkwater, but now it is a filling-station.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1966		‘Railroads have “Slanguage”’ in Newark (OH) Advocate 21 May 3/3–4: filling station — small town.

2. a place to eat or drink, esp. a nightclub.

1933

193319341935193619371938193919401941

1942

1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl.
1942		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 17 Jan. 7/8: Jive Dictionary. [...] Filling station — eating establishment.

3. (US black) a liquor store.

1980

19801990

2000

1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 187: The liquor store [...] has a number of venacular names — [...] filling station, brew house, leeky store.
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad.