About the Author Archie Bentz, Jr.

Archie Bentz, Jr. was raised in Batavia, Illinois, where his family’s long-standing roots in the fuel business began. His father, Archie Bentz Sr., started working for Clark’s Pure Oil in 1945. In 1959, Archie Sr. partnered with his brother Bernard to form Bentz Bros Pure Oil. The business soon transitioned under the Standard Oil name and rapidly expanded, eventually becoming the largest Standard Oil operation in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

As a young man, Archie gained hands-on experience by working in every aspect of his father’s business, instilling in him the work ethic and business knowledge that would shape his future.

Archie began studying Marketing at Northern Illinois University, but his education was interrupted when he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. After being wounded in combat, Archie returned home, determined to complete his studies. He earned his degrees from Waubonsee Community College and Western Illinois University, where he also met his wife, Linda. They have now been married for over 53 years.

In 1974, Archie and Linda settled in St. Charles, Illinois. By 1977, Archie founded Bentz Texaco, a full-service gas station with three repair bays. His dedication to honesty, quality workmanship, and customer service quickly earned him a strong reputation in the community, leading to the opening of a second location—Archie’s Arcada Automotive—in 1980.

In 1986, following a corporate property exchange between Texaco and Mobil, Archie’s original station was rebranded as Bentz Mobil. However, as major oil companies increasingly pressured independent dealers out of the industry, Archie faced growing challenges. Unable to purchase his station from Mobil, he exited the service station business in 1990 and embarked on a second career as a millwork specialist. He continued in that trade until his retirement in 2007.

In 2013, Archie and Linda relocated to Fairfield Glade, Tennessee. Reflecting on his family's five-decade legacy in the fuel industry — from 1945 to 1999 — Archie was inspired to preserve the story before it was lost. This led him to write his first book:

📘 Refueling the Past (2021)
An Amazon #1 Best Seller in Automotive History, this richly illustrated book (584 images) explores the evolution of service stations in the Tri-City area—Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles—from blacksmith shops and general stores to full-service gas stations. It offers both local color and a universal story of America’s small-town automotive service industry.

📘 "Bet-a-Million” Gates: The Man History Forgot (Released June 6, 2025)
A comprehensive, myth-busting biography of John Warne Gates—19th-century industrialist, philanthropist, and the man credited with helping launch U.S. Steel and Texaco—based on newly discovered letters, financial records, press archives, and rare family documents.