Everything changed when Henry Ford invented the assembly line. That new assembly line manufacturing method lowered the cost of automobiles so the common man could afford one. With automobiles becoming popular, one of the biggest changes that happened was farmers living in rural areas weren’t as isolated. Families could hop in a model T and go to town easier than hooking up a team of horses. People had better access to stores and jobs expanding the middle class in America. The most obvious change was that people could get around quickly.
Teenagers were more independent with being able to drive. Dating provided a portable way to be alone. The automobile also created more relaxed moral attitudes. Ministers complained that teenagers spent their time motoring rather than attending church.
More families became middle class because people could travel to higher paying jobs. Cars also changed the way that farmers brought goods to market. Vehicles could often be seen with eggs, milk or vegetables on country roads as they brought food to market. Because of the speed the automobiles traveled, families could live further from work.
New types of businesses popped up along the road side from gas stations to auto parts stores. Additional industries were created from auto manufacturing, the development of highways and roadside businesses. The automobile gave people more time to enjoy activities together and offered better access to goods and services.
The Ford mass production technology was first introduced in 1913. He also paid his employees $5 per day. By doing that, his employee turnover problem disappeared. By 1920 the average household income was $3,269 dollars a year. The cost of a good sized home was $6300. The model T dominated automobile sales at 47% between 1920 and 1926. Also in 1926 Henry started the 8 hour a day, 5 days a week work schedule.(Google.com) Higginbothams seems to be the first business in Dublin that started a Ford Service Station, which we would now call a dealership. Eventually the dealership moved across Blackjack Street to where the Dublin Historical Museum is now. Sales were in front and auto repair was in back. Maurice Reid worked for Higginbothams and helped them to create the new enterprise. He would eventually buy out the Higginbothams part of the business to become a sole owner. Reid would in 1926 build a new building on Patrick Street where the Brookshire Brothers grocery store is now. It remained there until 1964 when Bill Harden bought out the Ford Dealership and moved it across the street into the old Chevrolet building.