In the late 1800s, Americans were introduced to the idea of car ownership. Gasoline-powered, domestic-made automobiles had recently arrived in the U.S., but only a privileged few could afford them. Farmers and other modest-living Americans saw the pricey vehicles as unattainable toys, good for nothing more than showing off. That all changed when Henry Fordâ??s lower-priced Model T made owning an automobile more accessible. Yet when Americans needed to travel long distances they still turned to the railroads.
The wealthy Indianapolis entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher wanted to change that. Fresh from leading the effort to create the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909 (a decade later he helped develop Miami Beach), he envisioned a â??coast-to-coast rock highwayâ? that would offer travelers an alternative to train travel for long trips. Fisher had an enthusiasm for automobiles and deep connections to the industry: His company, Prest-O-Lite, had produced the first compressed-gas headlights, which directly preceded electric models.
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