1. Chapter 17
Montanans on the Move

2. Before the automobiles
Most people traveled by horse, at miles per hour
Even with carriages, it took much longer to get from one place to another

3. Enter the Automobile
Europeans built the first commercially successful automobiles in the late 1800’s
By 1900, there were many small companies making autos in the United States
Ransome E. Olds was the owner of the first U.S. factory to mass-produce the gasoline automobile
Owned the Oldsmobile company

4. The first cars
Automobiles began to replace horses when cars became more affordable
The first cars were very expensive, only the wealthy could afford them
Businessman and inventor Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company
He was the builder of the first car affordable to the middle class
He built the Model-T Ford, the vehicle introduced by the Ford Motor Company
This was a practical car that set off the affordable car industry

5. Model-t ford

6. Backlash Some people didn’t like cars when they were first introduced
They didn’t like automobiles at first because:
There were no laws about how people should drive
They scared horses
They were noisy and dangerous
Early gas-powered cars had hand cranks to start them, they could kick back and give you a black eye or break your arm
The wheels were very thin and could break off easily
Early automobiles had trouble with gas flow to the carburetor

7. Problems with early cars
Early cars had many problems including:
Difficulty braking
Difficulty steering
No windshields
How could these problems make cars dangerous?
Small towns suffered from the increase in cars because people could now travel to bigger towns with cheaper goods

8. Wild rides Bumpy roads jiggled car parts loose
People complained about drivers speeding and driving all over the roads (there was no “drivers ed” at the time)

10. Creating a social revolution
Suddenly, people could go anywhere they wanted whenever they wanted
Cars changed how people spent their money, many people got extra jobs to pay the expenses of owning a car
People shopped more often, went more places and went out to eat more often
Cars changed people’s views of the world because as people traveled, they exchanged ideas
Gas-Powered cars changed farmers lives because they gave them the ability to work more land to produce more crops

11. Trucks used for mass transportation
Trucks revolutionized modern business
They could transfer goods to and from railroad stations faster than horse-drawn wagons
They could carry heavier loads and travel farther
Trucks changed the way people ate because they delivered food more quickly and safely
Shipping goods by truck rather than rail was more popular because it was cheaper

12. Competition for railroads
Railroads were still trying to expand into the west when automobiles were introduced
At first, the railroad companies did not view automobiles as competition, they hoped truck deliveries and road and car-building shipments would help business
Railroad companies worked to build better roads because they were convinced that better roads would increase their business
But as popularity with cars increased, people used railroads less and less
The cost of gasoline was cheaper than buying railroad tickets

13. Fast cars need good roads
Heavy trucks and cars carved the dirt roads into deep ruts
Automobiles needed traction to move, but this also tears up roads
Roads also had to be graded so autos could climb them
The homestead boom affected roads because the growing population put stress on existing roads

14. Road improvement
Bicyclists first pushed for hard-surfaced roads in America
Bicyclists began the “Good Roads Movement”, a campaign to build high-quality roads
Auto drivers joined the movement in the early 1900’s and pressured Congress to provide long-distance roads
Montana and the nation got many more miles of paved roads when the federal government funded programs to pay for building roads
The government established the State Highway Commission: a government state agency that organizes statewide road-building projects

15. Automobiles and tourism
Now that people could travel wherever they wanted on their own time, they wanted to get out and see everything the country had to offer
People traveled to see national parks, monuments, landmarks and tourist attractions
The growth of tourism brought:
Motor hotels
Full-service filling stations
Campsites

16. Travel within Montana
Cars and trucks will always be important in MT because of the great distances in the state

17. Oil in montana Oil was discovered in Montana in 1864
Through the early 1900’s, wildcatters scoured Montana’s geological formations looking for oil
Wildcatters – people who were eager to find oil in Montana in the early ’s
Easter and central Montana were dotted with derricks as people drilled for oil

18. Oil production Montana’s oil industry boomed in the 1920’s
Production and demand increased
Oil production became big business in Montana when gas-powered vehicles became increasingly popular
Oil has been important to Montana’s economy because the need for oil keeps increasing