Service With a Smile: Frank S. Flores and the Little Compton Garage

Vintage 1934 advertisement for Little Compton Garage operated by Frank S. Flores, featuring services for Goodyear Tires, Exide Batteries, auto repairs, and wrecker towing with telephone number 64.
Goodyear Tires, Exide Batteries, and a 2-digit phone number. A slice of Little Compton history from 1934.

 A Snapshot of 1934: Frank S. Flores and the Little Compton Garage

Flipping through the pages of the 1934 Summer Locater—published nearly a century ago by the Little Compton Village Improvement Society—is like stepping straight into a time capsule. Amidst the advertisements for local inns, farms, and markets, one modest ad immediately catches the eye: a simple, crisp feature for the Little Compton Garage, run by proprietor Frank S. Flores.

Back in the summer of '34, America was deep in the grips of the Great Depression, but life in Little Compton kept rolling along—quite literally. As automobiles became an everyday essential rather than a novelty, having a trusted local mechanic was vital for both full-time residents and summer visitors navigating our coastal roads.

"Service With A Smile"

The ad captures a wonderful slice of local automotive history:

  • The Slogan: Prominently featured in the top-right corner is the simple, welcoming promise: "Service With A Smile." It’s a reminder of an era when local customer service was rooted in personal relationships.

  • The Offerings: The garage was a one-stop shop for 1930s motorists, stocking Goodyear Tires and Exide Batteries, while offering general Auto Repairs alongside Wrecker and Towing services.

  • Telephone 64: Long before ten-digit dialing or area codes, reaching Frank Flores required only two digits on a party line or through the local operator: Telephone 64.

It’s easy to imagine Model Ts, Model A Fords, and early V8s pulling into the garage on a warm July morning, needing a patch on a inner tube or a quick battery recharge before heading down to South Shore Beach.

Piece by piece, artifacts like this from the Summer Locater tell the story of how Little Compton grew into the community we know today. Businesses like Frank Flores' Little Compton Garage kept our town moving through good times and lean years alike.

Do you remember or have family stories about old businesses around the Commons or Sakonnet Point? Let us know in the comments below!

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Location: Little Compton, RI, USA

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