Part 2, Chapter 11 Summary

In 1919, Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower volunteered to lead a cross-country motor caravan to demonstrate the value of motor transportation and to dramatize the need for better highways. The two-month trip allowed time for contemplation for the future president who would champion the interstate highway system. The automobile was transforming American society at an astonishing rate; garages, filling stations, eateries, tourist sites, and campgrounds sprouted, while traffic lights, road signs, parking ordinances, and congestion grew. By 1929, 78% of the world's cars sped along American roads; oil had taken over 25% of total U.S. energy consumption, with gasoline eclipsing kerosene as the premier product. Shell pioneered the growth of the standard filling/service station in Los Angeles, and Indiana turned it into a grand operation. Competition forced companies to develop trademarks to assure brand recognition, and these quickly became secular icons. Full service was...