A S S E S S I N G    T H E    2 0 T H     C E N T U R Y

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1910-20: Lull Before the Storm,
Thunder in the Background
In 1910, agriculture dominated economic activity, and most people lived in rural areas. Country stores were the focal point for activity. Their market area was determined by how far someone could travel via horse and buggy round trip in a day. Both of my grandfathers operated such stores, one in Alabama and one in Tennessee.

For those who lived in the country, the store offered many fascinating things. Outside was a display of plows and other farm implements. There were sheds with stores of seed and fertilizer. Inside there were the dry goods, ranging from clothing to rolls of cloth. Up front was a display of candy. The big day was Saturday, when the farm families would come into town to do most of their trading. The main street of the town was full of wagons and horses, dogs and children.

However, between these moments of excitement, life was quiet. Many thought it would stay the same for another century or so. But it was not to be. Outside these sleepy little country towns there were events occurring which would soon end their isolation.

There was the first transcontinental airplane flight in 1911. Pilot C.P. Rodgers left New York on Sept. 17 and after many overnight stops arrived in Pasadena, Calif., on Nov. 5. Total flying time: 82 hours.

And in 1912 the Packard Motor Co. conducted a noteworthy promotional feat. They loaded a truck with three tons (2.7 m. tons) of cargo in New York and dispatched it overland to San Francisco. It arrived in San Francisco only 46 days later -- a great achievement considering the lack of highways.

In 1913 the Woolworth Building was opened in New York, and it became the tallest in the world at 792 feet (240 m.). Also in 1913, Henry Ford started the first automobile assembly line. In 1914 the Panama Canal opened. In its first year more than 1,000 ships passed through.

Undoubtedly the biggest event of that second decade was World War I. It started in Europe in 1914 and extended to 1918. The United States was directly involved during 1916-1918.

Like all wars, WWI brought with it some significant new technologies. Submarines entered the picture. Also, the war demonstrated the value of trucks. At one point General Pershing, who was the U.S. commander, issued a call for 50,000 trucks. Airplanes also showed promise, and the military began to use them, primarily for scouting. After the war, the first air mail service began between New York and Washington. In 1915 a telephone link between New York and Los Angeles was achieved.

Perhaps the saddest note of the decade: The 16th amendment was enacted, starting the federal income tax.

One of the most interesting things was the emergence of promotion programs for cities and areas. Evidence is found in Manufacturers Record, a predecessor of Site Selection (www.siteselection.com). In issues during 1910 to 1920 there are some fascinating ads. Yazoo City, Miss., presents itself as "the Queen City of the famed Mississippi Delta." Another ad for Tuscumbia, Ala., offers manufacturing sites "free and exempt from taxation." Did you wonder when the promotion started in Florida? There it was, with someone offering 75,000 acres (30 ha.) of choice land touching Tampa Bay. Harbingers of things to come!