The Lusk Herald, September 4, 1958

Christian Purchases Johnson's Corner

Charles Christian, owner and operator of the Northside service station in Lusk for the past five years has purchased Johnson's Corner. They purchased the real property from the Lusk State Bank recently and in the auction of equipment held last Thursday he purchased approximately 70 per cent of equipment sold.

The name of the business has been changed to "Crazy" Charlie's Southside Truck Stop. The business is probably the best equipped truck stop in the region with a garage, cabins, station and cafe. The property is now being redecorated. The station is open and it is planned to open the cafe, which has been leased to Mr. and Mr. Moon Erlewine, about the middle of September.

The business will be open 24 hours per day and will feature Frontier Petroleum products.

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The Lusk Herald, September 20, 1962

Rambler Cars Will Be Sold By Southside

Charles Christian has signed a franchise with American Motors to handle their complete line of cars in this area. Final approval was received Monday.

The cars are in addition to the International trucks that are now handled by the Southside Truck 
Stop.Mr. Christian is modifying the name of the business to "Crazy Charlie's" as far as the sales business is concerned. The service station portion of the business will be known as "Crazy Charlie's Super Stop."

Mr. and Mrs. Christian recently made a trip to San Francisco where they saw the first new 1963 Rambles. Christian says, "I was terrifically impressed with the cars and believe that they have a line of cars that will serve the ranchers as well as the town people of this area very well."

Another change has also taken place at the growing business. After nine years of selling Frontier petroleum products the business is now selling Husky products. Mr. Christian points with pride to the fact that both lines he has handled are Wyoming products. 

The Southside was originally almost exclusively a truck stop. However, the business, which now employs 26 persons, has expanded into the selling field and has had outstanding success with its sales of International Scouts, compact all-purpose vehicle for general ranch work.

Mr. Christian says, "We will have most information on the Ramblers prior to our initial showing on Friday, October 5."

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The Lusk Herald, September 27, 1962

Oil Co. Making Parking Space South of Lusk

Don Brown of Brown Oil Co. told the Herald Wednesday that his company is filling in land adjacent to Highway 85 about a quarter mile south of Lusk as a place fro park trucks and as a real estate investment. 

The company recently purchased the land and Wednesday large earth moving machinery started to work filling the property. Mr. Brown said that the work was being done at this time as he was able to have a contracting company that was moving through do the work at a lower price than otherwise might be expected. Mr. Brown said that "Crazy" Charlie's Southside truck stop will also use the parking space.

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The Lusk Herald, January 24, 1980

Christians Sell Southside Truck Stop

After 26 years in business, Charles and Ruby Christian have sold “Crazy” Charlie’s Southside Truck Stop.

Christian, 52, who started in the truck stop business here in December, 1953, when he bought the old Northside, said the sale took effect last Wednesday morning.

The buyers and Jim and Barre Conley, two brothers already in the truck stop business.

Jim runs the Conley-Detlefsen truck stop in Interstate 80 at North Platte, Neb., while Barre runs the Big Wheel in Douglas. Barre also has an interest in several other Douglas businesses, including the Prairie Winds Motel.

None of the parties would disclose the sale price of “Crazy” Charlie’s, a name that will continue to be used by the new owners.

Christian said he holds the utmost confidence in the Conley brothers, and says they will be an asset to the truck stop business in Lusk.

Last week’s sale not only includes the truck stop and 18-wheel fuel tanker, but also the adjoining café and motel. The Conleys have said that they will soon be rebuilding and expanding the café, which was closed in October following a kitchen fire that caused extensive damage.

Christian said the hardest part about selling the truck stop was parting with his “great crew.”

All of then will stay under the new ownership, according to Christian.

Heading the crew is Bill St. John, and employee since last August and the man who has assumed managerial duties from Joe Andrews, who announced last year that he would be leaving the struck stop in March.

The truck stop is one of Lusk’s largest businesses, employing 12 people plus another 18 or so who will work in the café.

Christian is the first to admit the struck stop was a family business.

“Everyone inn the family has bumped tires (to check for flats on dual-wheelers), filled fuel tanks and washed windshields,” he said.

The family includes Charles and Ruby and their three daughters, Cindy St. John, wife of the new truck stop manager; Thana Christian, a real estate saleslady in Denver; and Janis Larback, a lieutenant’s wife as Ellsworth Air Force Base outside of Rapid City.

Christian said part of his “retirement” will be devoted to his grandchildren.

“Some of the are getting old enough to learn how to fish” he said. “I’d like to spend time with them to make up for the times I didn’t spend with my own children because I was working.”

Christian also will spend time raising quarter horses at his ranch just east of Lusk. He has a stud battery of three stallions for breeding race horses, working horses, halter and show horses.

For Christian, a Niobrara County native, returning to fulltime ranching means returning to his first love.

He was raised as a rancher and says he got into the truck stop business only as a temporary measure.

During the winter of 1953-54, he purchased the old Northside and come spring he planned to lease pasture for raising cattle. But the 53-54 winter signaled the start of a severe drought, so Christian continued in the truck stop business.

In the succeeding 26 years, Christian proudly says he has operated a truck stop here “every minute of every hour of every day.”

There were times last summer when the Southside came close to shutting down as a result of the diesel fuel shortage.

“The situation for this coming summer is very uncertain,” Christian said. “I can foresee no gasoline shortage but the diesel fuel situation is very unstable.”

Christian purchased the Southside in 1959, and for two years ran two truck stops here until abandoning the Northside in 1961. Between 1957 and 1959, he also ran a truck stop in Sheridan.

In 1965, he completely remodeled the Southside Café and built a new station complex which still stands today.

The station, with 26 fuel pumps and storage tanks that hole 35,000 gallons of fuel, can accommodate eight trucks and eight autos at the same time.

That compares to the old Northside’s single pump and 2,000-gallon capacity. Over the years, Christian has seen his monthly fuel sales jump from 18,000 gallons at the Northside to more than 250,000 gallons at today’s Southside.

“I’d say the truck stop business in Lusk is very important,” he said. “It’s good for the local economy.

Christian has many memories of truck stopping in Lusk, like stormy night when as many as 30 to 40 rigs would stand idle at the Southside.

“We’d stay up to make sure all the trucks were fueled so the engine wouldn’t quit during cold weather,” Christian said.

And he has seen truck traffic grow, grow, grow over the years.

But somewhere along the line, Christian says, government controls “have taken all the fun and challenge away from truck stopping.“

He cited increased regimentation and price-controlling” as two reasons for getting out of the truck stop business.

Still, Christian will continue to serve the Southside in an advisory capacity.

Christian, noting that the biggest change he has seen in Lusk business has been changing faces, he said up until he sold the Southside it was number three (behind the Quality Shop, and
Willard’s Drug Store) on the list of businesses operated the longest time under the same ownership.

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The Lusk Herald, April 26, 1989

He's Back!! Charlie Christian in business again

Crazy Charlie's Truck Stop went under "new" ownership on March 24 (1989). The "new" owner is the man who lent his name to the business, Charlie Christian sold the business  nine years ago and bought the business back effective March 10, 1989.

Services offered at the Crazy Charlie's complex include a complete 24-hour truck stop, which includes showers for the men and women truck drivers. The station also serves as the bus stop in Lusk. 

Christian was tagged with the name of the truck stop back in 1957 after he staged several gigantic open houses for truck stops. The media had been following his actions and when he had a plane crash in 1957 the newspapers said "Crazy" Charlie had a crash. The name has stuck with him and he gave it to the Lusk truck stop. 

Christian opened his truck stop business in 1953. He initially had a business on the north side of Lusk.

"I came into the business on Main Street as one of the youngest (businessmen) and now I'm coming back as possibly the oldest businessman on Main Street," Christian said.

He said management of the business is made easier by his "great help." The staff includes Bill St. John, station manager and Loretta Miller, bookkeeper and office manager. 
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The Lusk Herald, November 17, 1993

Charles Christian Retires From Crazy Charlie's Truck Stop

"This is the end of an era, but we've been able to keep it in the family," said Charles Christian, former owner of Crazy Charlie's Truck Stop.  He has retired and turned the business over to his daughter and her husband, Cindy and Bill St. John.