98-599: The Hammocks is a historic site in Ormond Beach , Florida , United States . It is located at 311 John Anderson Highway . On September 5, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places . This article about a property in Volusia County, Florida on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ormond Beach, Florida Ormond Beach
196-606: A 40 hp (30 kW) 269 cu in (4,410 cc) Curtiss V-8 motorcycle . Lee Bible , in the record-breaking, but fatal, White Triplex , was less fortunate. Driving on the beach is still permitted on some stretches. The municipality was officially renamed as the City of Ormond Beach following a referendum held on April 25, 1950. Ormond Beach has four downtown riverfront parks and a beachfront park along with 37 other parks and gardens large and small. The historic shopping district located along Granada Boulevard from A1A to Orchard Street
294-596: A central figure in the city's business community. He bought a residence in 1884 on 54th Street near the mansions of other magnates such as William Henry Vanderbilt . Despite personal threats and constant pleas for charity, Rockefeller took the new elevated train to his downtown office daily. In 1887, Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission which was tasked with enforcing equal rates for all railroad freight, but by then Standard depended more on pipeline transport. More threatening to Standard's power
392-455: A collision with steel magnate Andrew Carnegie , and their competition became a major subject of the newspapers and cartoonists. He went on a massive buying spree acquiring leases for crude oil production in Ohio, Indiana, and West Virginia, as the original Pennsylvania oil fields began to play out. Amid the frenetic expansion, Rockefeller began to think of retirement. The daily management of the trust
490-504: A conservationist. Great-grandson John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV served from 1985 until 2015 as a Democratic Senator from West Virginia after serving as governor of West Virginia, and another Winthrop served as lieutenant governor of Arkansas for a decade. John D. Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York , then part of the Burned-over district , a New York state region that became
588-402: A decent offer. If they refused his offer, he told them he would run them into bankruptcy and then cheaply buy up their assets at auction. However, he did not intend to eliminate competition entirely. In fact, his partner Pratt said of that accusation "Competitors we must have ... If we absorb them, it surely will bring up another." Instead of wanting to eliminate them, Rockefeller saw himself as
686-479: A female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.75. In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
784-409: A firestorm of protest from independent oil well owners, including boycotts and vandalism, which led to the discovery of Standard Oil's part in the deal. A major New York refiner, Charles Pratt and Company , headed by Charles Pratt and Henry H. Rogers , led the opposition to this plan, and railroads soon backed off. Pennsylvania revoked the cartel's charter, and non-preferential rates were restored for
882-567: A fortune worth nearly 2% of the national economy. His personal wealth was estimated in 1913 at $ 900 million, which was almost 3% of the US gross domestic product (GDP) of $ 39.1 billion that year. Rockefeller spent much of the last 40 years of his life in retirement at Kykuit , his estate in Westchester County, New York, defining the structure of modern philanthropy, along with other key industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie . His fortune
980-406: A huge backlash against the company, Tarbell stated she was surprised at its magnitude. "I never had an animus against their size and wealth, never objected to their corporate form. I was willing that they should combine and grow as big and wealthy as they could, but only by legitimate means. But they had never played fair, and that ruined their greatness for me." Tarbell's father had been driven out of
1078-400: A large business is merely a survival of the fittest." Rockefeller was the second of six children born in Richford, New York , to con artist William A. Rockefeller Sr. and Eliza Davison. Rockefeller had an elder sister named Lucy and four younger siblings: William Jr. , Mary, and fraternal twins Franklin (Frank) and Frances. His father was of English and German descent, while his mother
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#17328763736801176-565: A million dollars in business) and $ 17,000 worth of profit, respectively, and their profits soared with the outbreak of the American Civil War when the Union Army called for massive amounts of food and supplies. During the second year of the American Civil War , Gardner withdrew from the business, and the firm became Clark & Rockefeller. When the Civil War was nearing a close and with
1274-463: A month. His final year provided him $ 58 a month. As a youth, Rockefeller reportedly said that his two great ambitions were to make $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 3.27 million in 2023 dollars) and to live 100 years. In 1859, Rockefeller went into the produce commission business with two partners, Maurice B. Clark and George W. Gardner , under Clark, Gardner & Company, and they raised $ 4,000 ($ 135,644 in 2023 dollars) in capital. Clark initiated
1372-454: A partner, and the firm of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler was established. By 1868, with Rockefeller continuing practices of borrowing and reinvesting profits, controlling costs, and using refineries' waste, the company owned two Cleveland refineries and a marketing subsidiary in New York ; it was the largest oil refinery in the world. Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler was the predecessor of
1470-754: A possible career. In September 1855, when Rockefeller was sixteen, he got his first job as an assistant bookkeeper working for a small produce commission firm in Cleveland called Hewitt & Tuttle. He worked long hours and delighted, as he later recalled, in "all the methods and systems of the office." He was particularly adept at calculating transportation costs, which served him well later in his career. Much of Rockefeller's duties involved negotiating with barge canal owners, ship captains, and freight agents. In these negotiations, he learned that posted transportation rates that were believed to be fixed could be altered depending on conditions and timing of freight and through
1568-526: A principal stockholder of the Denver and Rio Grande, for a loan. Gould, via Frederick Taylor Gates , Rockefeller's financial adviser, brought John D. Rockefeller in to help finance the loan. Analysis of the company's operations by John D. Rockefeller Jr. showed a need for substantially more funds which were provided in exchange for acquisition of CF&I's subsidiaries such as the Colorado and Wyoming Railway Company,
1666-531: A result, Rockefeller and his associates owned dozens of separate corporations, each of which operated in just one state; the management of the whole enterprise was rather unwieldy. In 1882, Rockefeller's lawyers created an innovative form of corporation to centralize their holdings, giving birth to the Standard Oil Trust. The " trust " was a corporation of corporations, and the entity's size and wealth drew much attention. Nine trustees, including Rockefeller, ran
1764-581: A series of Gilded Age hotels catering to passengers aboard his Florida East Coast Railway , which had purchased the St. Johns & Halifax Railroad. Once a well-known landmark which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the hotel was razed in 1992. On December 5, 1896, the Nathan F. Cobb , a wooden schooner built in 1890, ran aground on a sandbar off Ormond. One of Flagler's guests at
1862-499: A son together. He was a faithful congregant of the Erie Street Baptist Mission Church, taught Sunday school, and served as a trustee, clerk, and occasional janitor. Religion was a guiding force throughout his life, and he believed it to be the source of his success. Rockefeller was also considered a supporter of capitalism based on a perspective of social Darwinism , and he was quoted often as saying, "The growth of
1960-413: A ten-week business course at Folsom's Commercial College , where he studied bookkeeping. Rockefeller was a well-behaved, serious, and studious boy despite his father's absences and frequent family moves. His contemporaries described him as reserved, earnest, religious, methodical, and discreet. He was an excellent debater and expressed himself precisely. He also had a deep love of music and dreamed of it as
2058-729: Is a city in Volusia County, Florida , United States. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is known as the birthplace of speed, as early adopters of motorized cars flocked to its hard-packed beaches for yearlong entertainment, since paved roads were not yet commonplace. Ormond Beach lies in Central Eastern Florida. The Timucuan town of Nocoroco
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#17328763736802156-587: Is home to dozens of locally owned shops and restaurants along with historic and cultural sites. The approximate coordinates for the City of Ormond Beach is located at 29°17′11″N 81°04′30″W / 29.286405°N 81.074882°W / 29.286405; -81.074882 (29.286405, –81.074882). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 39.0 square miles (101.0 km ), of which 31.9 square miles (82.7 km )
2254-614: Is land, and 7.1 square miles (18.3 km ) (18.12%) is water. Drained by the Tomoka River , Ormond Beach is located on the Halifax River lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean . The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the Köppen climate classification , the City of Ormond Beach has a humid subtropical climate zone ( Cfa ). As of
2352-552: Is named for James Ormond I, an Anglo-Irish-Scottish sea captain commissioned by King Ferdinand VII of Spain to bring Franciscan settlers to this part of Florida. Ormond had served Britain and Spain in the Napoleonic Wars as a ship captain, and was rewarded for his services to Spain by King Ferdinand VII. Ormond later worked for the Scottish Indian trade company of Panton, Leslie & Company , and his armed brig
2450-669: Is the Florida East Coast Railway , which had a station within the city. Ormond Beach contained a connection to the former Ormond Hotel , which was accessed via the St. Johns and Halifax Railway . Passenger service ended in during the strike of 1963. Freight service continues to operate along the Florida East Coast Railway, but makes no stops within Ormond Beach. Ormond Beach is an active commercial and residential market in
2548-527: Is what we now, many years later, call ' vertical integration ' I do not know whether Mr. Rockefeller ever used the word 'integration'. I only know he conceived the idea. In 1877, Standard clashed with Thomas A. Scott , the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad , Standard's chief hauler. Rockefeller envisioned pipelines as an alternative transport system for oil and began a campaign to build and acquire them. The railroad, seeing Standard's incursion into
2646-573: The 2020 United States census , there were 43,080 people, 18,554 households, and 11,121 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 38,137 people, 16,617 households, and 10,408 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, there were 36,301 people, 15,629 households, and 10,533 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,409.8 inhabitants per square mile (544.3/km ). There were 17,258 housing units at an average density of 670.2 units per square mile (258.8 units/km ). The racial makeup of
2744-486: The South Improvement Company offering special deals to bulk customers like Standard Oil, outside the main oil centers. The cartel offered preferential treatment as a high-volume shipper, which included not just steep discounts/rebates of up to 50% for their product but rebates for the shipment of competing products. Part of this scheme was the announcement of sharply increased freight charges. This touched off
2842-553: The Standard Oil Company in 1870. He ran it until 1897 and remained its largest shareholder . In his retirement, he focused his energy and wealth on philanthropy, especially regarding education, medicine, higher education, and modernizing the Southern United States . Rockefeller's wealth soared as kerosene and gasoline grew in importance, and he became the richest person in the country, controlling 90% of all oil in
2940-1119: The Supreme Court of the United States found Standard Oil Company of New Jersey in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act . By then the trust still had a 70% market share of the refined oil market but only 14% of the U.S. crude oil supply. The court ruled that the trust originated in illegal monopoly practices and ordered it to be broken up into 34 new companies. These included, among many others, Continental Oil, which became Conoco , now part of ConocoPhillips ; Standard of Indiana, which became Amoco , now part of BP ; Standard of California, which became Chevron ; Standard of New Jersey, which became Esso (and later, Exxon ), now part of ExxonMobil ; Standard of New York, which became Mobil , now part of ExxonMobil; and Standard of Ohio, which became Sohio , now part of BP. Pennzoil and Chevron have remained separate companies. Rockefeller, who had rarely sold shares, held over 25% of Standard's stock at
3038-502: The district of Neuwied . In 1864, Rockefeller married Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman (1839–1915), daughter of Harvey Buell Spelman and Lucy Henry. They had four daughters and one son together. He said later, "Her judgment was always better than mine. Without her keen advice, I would be a poor man." The Rockefeller wealth, distributed as it was through a system of foundations and trusts, continued to fund family philanthropic, commercial, and, eventually, political aspirations throughout
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3136-485: The poverty line , including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over. The City of Ormond Beach has a commission-manager form of government. The Ormond Beach Municipal Airport is the main airport in Ormond Beach. For more international travel, commuters would be required to drive to the Daytona Beach International Airport . The main railroad line through Ormond Beach
3234-455: The 1880s Standard Oil had passed its peak of power over the world oil market. Rockefeller finally gave up his dream of controlling all the world's oil refining; he admitted later, "We realized that public sentiment would be against us if we actually refined all the oil." Over time, foreign competition and new finds abroad eroded his dominance. In the early 1880s, Rockefeller created one of his most important innovations. Rather than try to influence
3332-550: The 20th century. John Jr.'s youngest son David Rockefeller was a leading New York banker, serving for over 20 years as CEO of Chase Manhattan (now part of JPMorgan Chase ). Second son Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was Republican governor of New York and the 41st Vice President of the United States . Fourth son Winthrop Aldrich Rockefeller served as Republican Governor of Arkansas . Grandchildren Abigail Aldrich "Abby" Rockefeller and John Davison Rockefeller III became philanthropists. Grandson Laurance Spelman Rockefeller became
3430-417: The 41 companies in the trust. The public and the press were immediately suspicious of this new legal entity, and other businesses seized upon the idea and emulated it, further inflaming public sentiment. Standard Oil had gained an aura of invincibility, always prevailing against competitors, critics, and political enemies. It had become the richest, biggest, most feared business in the world, seemingly immune to
3528-419: The Civil War, military consumption of oil drove the price up from $ .35 a barrel in 1862 to as high as $ 13.75. This created an oil-drilling glut, with thousands of speculators attempting to make their fortunes. Most failed, but those who struck oil did not even need to be efficient. They would blow holes in the ground and gather up the oil as they could, often leading to creeks and rivers flowing with wasted oil in
3626-547: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania indicted Rockefeller in 1879 on charges of monopolizing the oil trade, starting an avalanche of similar court proceedings in other states and making a national issue of Standard Oil's business practices. Rockefeller was under great strain during the 1870s and 1880s when he was carrying out his plan of consolidation and integration and being attacked by the press. He complained that he could not stay asleep most nights. Rockefeller later commented: All
3724-644: The Crystal River Railroad Company, and possibly the Rocky Mountain Coal and Iron Company. Control was passed from the Iowa Group to Gould and Rockefeller interests in 1903 with Gould in control and Rockefeller and Gates representing a minority interests. Osgood left the company in 1904 and devoted his efforts to operating competing coal and coke operations. The strike, called in September 1913 by
3822-702: The Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach MSA. Manufacturers enjoy a healthy business climate and engage in global marketing. Ormond Beach Business Park and Airpark, a foreign trade zone, is home to 29 companies that provide more than 2,000 jobs. Recent studies show the workforce to be educated, productive, and competitive with 10 percent underemployed. Seven colleges and universities and the Advanced Technology Center support business needs with career advancement, workforce development, and research. Education, health care, and government are
3920-572: The Euclid Avenue Baptist Church)—an independent Baptist church that eventually associated with the Northern Baptist Convention (1907–1950; now part of the modern American Baptist Churches USA ). His mother was deeply religious and disciplined, and had a major influence on him in religious matters. During church service, his mother would urge him to contribute his few pennies to the congregation. Rockefeller associated
4018-578: The German origin of Rockefeller and traced them to the early 17th century. Johann Peter Rockenfeller (baptized September 27, 1682, in the Protestant church of Rengsdorf ) immigrated in 1723 from Altwied (today a district of Neuwied , Rhineland-Palatinate ) with three children to North America. He settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania . The name Rockenfeller refers to the now-abandoned village of Rockenfeld in
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4116-521: The Ormond Hotel was his former business partner at the Standard Oil Company , John D. Rockefeller . He arrived in 1914 and after four seasons at the hotel bought an estate called The Casements , that would be Rockefeller's winter home during the latter part of his life. Sold by his heirs in 1939, it was purchased by the city in 1973 and now serves as a cultural center. It is the community's best-known historical structure. Beginning in 1902, some of
4214-467: The Rockefellers and the coal industry. The United States Commission on Industrial Relations conducted extensive hearings, singling out John D. Rockefeller Jr. and the Rockefellers' relationship with Bowers for special attention. Bowers was relieved of duty and Wellborn restored to control in 1915, then industrial relations improved. Rockefeller denied any responsibility and minimized the seriousness of
4312-516: The Standard Oil Company. By the end of the American Civil War , Cleveland was one of the five main refining centers in the U.S. (besides Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , New York , and the region in northwestern Pennsylvania where most of the oil originated). By 1869 there was triple the kerosene refining capacity than needed to supply the market, and the capacity remained in excess for many years. On January 10, 1870, Rockefeller abolished
4410-586: The United Mine Workers over the issue of union representation , was against coal mine operators in Huerfano and Las Animas counties of southern Colorado, where the majority of CF&I's coal and coke production was located. The strike was fought vigorously by the coal mine operators association and its steering committee, which included Welborn, president of CF&I, a spokesman for the coal operators. Rockefeller's operative, Lamont Montgomery Bowers, remained in
4508-508: The United States at his peak in 1900. Oil was used in lamps, and as a fuel for ships and automobiles. Standard Oil was the greatest business trust in the United States. Through use of the company's monopoly power , Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and, through corporate and technological innovations, was instrumental in both widely disseminating and drastically reducing the production cost of oil. Rockefeller's company and business practices came under criticism, particularly in
4606-436: The background. Few miners belonged to the union or participated in the strike call, but the majority honored it. Strikebreakers (called "scabs") were threatened and sometimes attacked. Both sides purchased substantial arms and ammunition. Striking miners were forced to abandon their homes in company towns and lived in tent cities erected by the union, such as the tent city at Ludlow, a railway stop north of Trinidad . Under
4704-458: The beginning, I was trained to work, to save, and to give." When he was a boy, his family moved to Moravia, New York , and to Owego, New York , in 1851, where he attended Owego Academy. In 1853, his family moved to Strongsville, Ohio , and he attended Cleveland's Central High School , the first high school in Cleveland and the first free public high school west of the Alleghenies. Then he took
4802-428: The boom and bust of the business cycle, consistently making profits year after year. The company's vast American empire included 20,000 domestic wells, 4,000 miles of pipeline, 5,000 tank cars, and over 100,000 employees. Its share of world oil refining topped out above 90% but slowly dropped to about 80% for the rest of the century. Despite the formation of the trust and its perceived immunity from all competition, by
4900-409: The city was 94.28% White , 2.75% African American , 0.17% Native American , 1.44% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.31% from other races , and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population. In 2000, there were 15,629 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had
4998-471: The company's board of directors. In full retirement at age 63, Rockefeller earned over $ 58 million (~$ 1.65 billion in 2023) in investments in 1902. One of the most effective attacks on Rockefeller and his firm was the 1904 publication of The History of the Standard Oil Company , by Ida Tarbell , a leading muckraker . She documented the company's espionage, price wars, heavy-handed marketing tactics, and courtroom evasions. Although her work prompted
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#17328763736805096-447: The end of the 1870s, Standard was refining over 90% of the oil in the U.S. Rockefeller had already become a millionaire ($ 1 million is equivalent to $ 32 million in 2023 dollars). He instinctively realized that orderliness would only proceed from centralized control of large aggregations of plant and capital, with the one aim of an orderly flow of products from the producer to the consumer. That orderly, economic, efficient flow
5194-439: The established laws of high-class dealing" seemed to be at odds with his true business methods. Rockefeller and his son continued to consolidate their oil interests as best they could until New Jersey, in 1909, changed its incorporation laws to effectively allow a re-creation of the trust in the form of a single holding company . Rockefeller retained his nominal title as president until 1911 and he kept his stock. At last in 1911,
5292-613: The event. When testifying on the Ludlow Massacre , and asked what action he would have taken as Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. stated, "I would have taken no action. I would have deplored the necessity which compelled the officers of the company to resort to such measures to supplement the State forces to maintain law and order." He admitted that he had made no attempt to bring the militiamen to justice. Against long-circulating speculations that his family has French roots, genealogists proved
5390-462: The first automobile races were held on the compacted sand from Ormond south to Daytona Beach . Pioneers in the industry, including Ransom Olds with his Pirate Racer , and Alexander Winton , tested their inventions. The American Automobile Association brought timing equipment in 1903 and the area acquired the nickname the "Birthplace of Speed." In 1907, Glenn Curtiss set an unofficial world record of 136.36 miles per hour (219.45 km/h), on
5488-476: The fortune that I have made has not served to compensate me for the anxiety of that period. Although it always had hundreds of competitors, Standard Oil gradually gained dominance of oil refining and sales as market share in the United States through horizontal integration , ending up with about 90% of the US market. In the kerosene industry, the company replaced the old distribution system with its own vertical system. It supplied kerosene by tank cars that brought
5586-555: The fray providing financing. Additional fields were discovered in Burma and Java. Even more critical, the invention of the light bulb gradually began to erode the dominance of kerosene for illumination. Standard Oil adapted by developing a European presence, expanding into natural gas production in the U.S., and then producing gasoline for automobiles, which until then had been considered a waste product. Standard Oil moved its headquarters to New York City at 26 Broadway, and Rockefeller became
5684-531: The fuel to local markets, and tank wagons then delivered to retail customers, thus bypassing the existing network of wholesale jobbers. Despite improving the quality and availability of kerosene products while greatly reducing their cost to the public (the price of kerosene dropped by nearly 80% over the life of the company), Standard Oil's business practices created intense controversy. Standard's most potent weapons against competitors were underselling, differential pricing, and secret transportation rebates. The firm
5782-556: The futility of continuing to compete against Standard Oil; in 1874, they made a secret agreement with Rockefeller to be acquired. Pratt and Rogers became Rockefeller's partners. Rogers, in particular, became one of Rockefeller's key men in the formation of the Standard Oil Trust . Pratt's son, Charles Millard Pratt , became secretary of Standard Oil. For many of his competitors, Rockefeller had merely to show them his books so they could see what they were up against and then make them
5880-405: The great expansion westward fostered by the growth of railroads and an oil -fueled economy. He borrowed heavily, reinvested profits, adapted rapidly to changing markets, and fielded observers to track the quickly expanding industry. In 1866, William Rockefeller Jr., John's brother, built another refinery in Cleveland and brought John into the partnership. In 1867, Henry Morrison Flagler became
5978-403: The idea of the partnership and offered $ 2,000 towards the goal. Rockefeller had only $ 800 saved up at the time and so borrowed $ 1,000 from his father, "Big Bill" Rockefeller, at 10 percent interest. Rockefeller went steadily ahead in business from there, making money each year of his career. In their first and second years of business, Clark, Gardner & Rockefeller netted $ 4,400 (on nearly half
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#17328763736806076-530: The industry's savior, "an angel of mercy" absorbing the weak and making the industry as a whole stronger, more efficient, and more competitive. Standard was growing horizontally and vertically . It added its own pipelines, tank cars, and home delivery network. It kept oil prices low to stave off competitors, made its products affordable to the average household, and, to increase market penetration, sometimes sold below cost. It developed over 300 oil-based products from tar to paint to petroleum jelly to chewing gum. By
6174-779: The largest employment sectors within the area. Among the corporations that call Ormond Beach home are: John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern history. Rockefeller was born into a large family in Upstate New York who moved several times before eventually settling in Cleveland , Ohio. He became an assistant bookkeeper at age 16 and went into several business partnerships beginning at age 20, concentrating his business on oil refining . Rockefeller founded
6272-461: The least efficient competing refiners, improving the efficiency of his operations, pressing for discounts on oil shipments, undercutting his competition, making secret deals, raising investment pools, and buying rivals out. In less than four months in 1872, in what was later known as "The Cleveland Conquest" or "The Cleveland Massacre", Standard Oil absorbed 22 of its 26 Cleveland competitors. Eventually, even his former antagonists, Pratt and Rogers, saw
6370-770: The oil business during the " South Improvement Company " affair. Rockefeller called her "Miss Tarbarrel" in private but held back in public saying only, "not a word about that misguided woman." He began a publicity campaign to put his company and himself in a better light. Though he had long maintained a policy of active silence with the press, he decided to make himself more accessible and responded with conciliatory comments such as "capital and labor are both wild forces which require intelligent legislation to hold them in restriction." He wrote and published his memoirs beginning in 1908. Critics found his writing to be sanitized and disingenuous and thought that statements such as "the underlying, essential element of success in business are to follow
6468-429: The other 40% in rivers and massive sludge piles, Rockefeller used the gasoline to fuel the refinery, and sold the rest as lubricating oil, petroleum jelly and paraffin wax, and other by-products. Tar was used for paving, naphtha shipped to gas plants. Likewise, Rockefeller's refineries hired their own plumbers, cutting the cost of pipe-laying in half. Barrels that cost $ 2.50 each ended up only $ 0.96 when Rockefeller bought
6566-425: The partnership of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler, co-founding Standard Oil of Ohio. Continuing to apply his work ethic and efficiency, Rockefeller quickly expanded the company to be the most profitable refiner in Ohio. Likewise, it became one of the largest shippers of oil and kerosene in the country. The railroads competed fiercely for traffic and, in an attempt to create a cartel to control freight rates, formed
6664-427: The place of water. A market existed for the refined oil in the form of kerosene. Coal had previously been used to extract kerosene, but its tedious extraction process and high price prevented broad use. Even with the high costs of freight transportation and a government levy during the Civil War (the government levied a tax of twenty cents a gallon on refined oil), profits on the refined product were large. The price of
6762-512: The price of crude oil directly, Standard Oil had been exercising indirect control by altering oil storage charges to suit market conditions. Rockefeller then ordered the issuance of certificates against oil stored in its pipelines. These certificates became traded by speculators, thus creating the first oil-futures market which effectively set spot market prices from then on. The National Petroleum Exchange opened in Manhattan in late 1882 to facilitate
6860-466: The prospect of those war-time profits ending, Clark & Rockefeller looked toward the refining of crude oil. While his brother Frank fought in the Civil War, Rockefeller tended his business and hired substitute soldiers . He gave money to the Union cause, as did many rich Northerners who avoided combat. "I wanted to go in the army and do my part," Rockefeller said. "But it was simply out of the question. There
6958-457: The protection of the National Guard, some miners returned to work and some strikebreakers, imported from the eastern coalfields, joined them as Guard troops protected their movements. In February 1914, a substantial portion of the troops were withdrawn, but a large contingent remained at Ludlow. On April 20, 1914, a general fire-fight occurred between strikers and troops, which was antagonized by
7056-427: The refined oil in 1863 was around $ 13 a barrel, with a profit margin of around $ 5 to $ 8 a barrel. The capital expenditures for a refinery at that time were small – around $ 1,000 to $ 1,500 and requiring only a few men to operate. In this environment of a wasteful boom, the partners switched from foodstuffs to oil, building an oil refinery in 1863 in " The Flats ", then Cleveland's burgeoning industrial area. The refinery
7154-578: The regular household chores and earned extra money raising turkeys, selling potatoes and candy, and eventually lending small sums of money to neighbors. He followed his father's advice to "trade dishes for platters" and always get the better part of any deal. Bill once bragged, "I cheat my boys every chance I get. I want to make 'em sharp." However, his mother was more influential in John's upbringing and beyond, while he distanced himself further and further from his father as his life progressed. He later stated, "From
7252-589: The site of an evangelical revival known as the Second Great Awakening . It drew masses to various Protestant churches—especially Baptist ones—and urged believers to follow such ideals as hard work, prayer, and good deeds to build "the Kingdom of God on Earth." Early in his life, he regularly went with his siblings and mother Eliza to the local Baptist church—the Erie Street Baptist Church (later
7350-456: The time being. While competitors may have been unhappy, Rockefeller's efforts did bring American consumers cheaper kerosene and other oil by-products. Before 1870, oil light was only for the wealthy, provided by expensive whale oil. During the next decade, kerosene became commonly available to the working and middle classes. Undeterred, though vilified for the first time by the press, Rockefeller continued with his self-reinforcing cycle of buying
7448-485: The time of the breakup. He and all of the other stockholders received proportionate shares in each of the 34 companies. In the aftermath, Rockefeller's control over the oil industry was somewhat reduced, but over the next 10 years the breakup proved immensely profitable for him. The companies' combined net worth rose fivefold and Rockefeller's personal wealth jumped to $ 900 million. In 1902, facing cash flow problems, John Cleveland Osgood turned to George Jay Gould ,
7546-458: The trading of oil futures. Although 85% of world crude production was still coming from Pennsylvania in the 1880s, oil from wells drilled in Russia and Asia began to reach the world market. Robert Nobel had established his own refining enterprise in the abundant and cheaper Russian oil fields, including the region's first pipeline and the world's first oil tanker. The Paris Rothschilds jumped into
7644-405: The transportation and pipeline fields, struck back and formed a subsidiary to buy and build oil refineries and pipelines. Standard countered, held back its shipments, and, with the help of other railroads, started a price war that dramatically reduced freight payments and caused labor unrest. Rockefeller prevailed and the railroad sold its oil interests to Standard. In the aftermath of that battle,
7742-420: The troops and mine guards. The camp was burned, resulting in 15 women and children, who hid in tents at the camp, being burned to death. Costs to both mine operators and the union were high. This incident brought unwanted national attention to Colorado. Due to reduced demand for coal, resulting from an economic downturn, many of CF&I's coal mines never reopened and many men were thrown out of work. The union
7840-403: The use of rebates to preferred shippers. Rockefeller was also given the duties of collecting debts when Hewitt instructed him to do so. Instead of using his father's method of presence to collect debts, Rockefeller relied on a persistent pestering approach. Rockefeller received $ 16 a month for his three-month apprenticeship. During his first year, he received $ 31 a month, which was increased to $ 50
7938-576: The wealthy seeking relief from northern winters during the Floridian boom in tourism following the Civil War . The St. Johns and Halifax Railway arrived in 1886, and the first bridge across the Halifax River was built in 1887. John Anderson and James Downing Price opened the Ormond Hotel on January 1, 1888. Henry Flagler bought the hotel in 1890 and expanded it to accommodate 600 guests. It would be one in
8036-500: The wood and had them built for himself. In February 1865, in what was later described by oil industry historian Daniel Yergin as a "critical" action, Rockefeller bought out the Clark brothers for $ 72,500 (equivalent to $ 1 million in 2023 dollars) at auction and established the firm of Rockefeller & Andrews. Rockefeller said, "It was the day that determined my career." He was well-positioned to take advantage of postwar prosperity and
8134-766: The work of Abraham Flexner , who in his essay "Medical Education in America" emphatically endowed empiricism as the basis for the US medical system of the 20th century. Rockefeller was the founder of the University of Chicago and Rockefeller University , and funded the establishment of Central Philippine University in the Philippines. He was a devout Northern Baptist and supported many church-based institutions. He adhered to total abstinence from alcohol and tobacco throughout his life. For advice, he relied closely on his wife, Laura Spelman Rockefeller : they had four daughters and
8232-425: The writings of author Ida Tarbell . The Supreme Court ruled in 1911 that Standard Oil must be dismantled for violation of federal antitrust laws . It was broken up into 34 separate entities, which included companies that became ExxonMobil , Chevron Corporation , and others—some of which remain among the largest companies by revenue worldwide . Consequently, Rockefeller became the country's first billionaire, with
8330-415: Was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $ 43,364, and the median income for a family was $ 52,496. Males had a median income of $ 38,598 versus $ 26,452 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 26,364. About 4.2% of families and 6.1% of the population were below
8428-459: Was a homemaker and a devout Baptist who struggled to maintain a semblance of stability at home, as Bill was frequently gone for extended periods. She also put up with his philandering and his double life, which included bigamy. He permanently abandoned his family around 1855 and lived with second wife, Margaret L. Allen. Eliza was thrifty by nature and by necessity, and she taught her son that "willful waste makes woeful want". John did his share of
8526-485: Was attacked by journalists and politicians throughout its existence, in part for these monopolistic methods, giving momentum to the antitrust movement. In 1879, the New York State Legislature 's Hepburn Committee investigations into "alleged abuses" committed by the railroads uncovered the fact that Standard Oil was receiving substantial freight rebates on all of the oil it was transporting by railroad—and
8624-579: Was called the "Somerset". After returning to Spanish control, in 1821, Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States, but hostilities during the Second Seminole War delayed settlement until after 1842. In 1875, the community was founded as New Britain by inhabitants from New Britain, Connecticut , but would be incorporated on April 22, 1880, as the Town of Ormond for its early plantation owner. With its hard, white beach, Ormond became popular for
8722-560: Was crushing Standard's competitors thereby. By 1880, according to the New York World , Standard Oil was "the most cruel, impudent, pitiless, and grasping monopoly that ever fastened upon a country". To critics, Rockefeller replied, "In a business so large as ours ... some things are likely to be done which we cannot approve. We correct them as soon as they come to our knowledge." At that time, many legislatures had made it difficult to incorporate in one state and operate in another. As
8820-466: Was described by locals as "Big Bill" and "Devil Bill." Unshackled by conventional morality, he led a vagabond existence and returned to his family infrequently. Throughout his life, Bill was notorious for conducting schemes. In between the births of Lucy and John, Bill and his mistress and housekeeper Nancy Brown had a daughter named Clorinda, who died young. Between John and William Jr.'s births, Bill and Nancy had another daughter, named Cornelia. Eliza
8918-412: Was directly owned by Andrews, Clark & Company, which was composed of Clark & Rockefeller, chemist Samuel Andrews , and M. B. Clark's two brothers. The commercial oil business was then in its infancy. Whale oil had become too expensive for the masses, and a cheaper, general-purpose lighting fuel was needed. While other refineries would keep the 60% of oil product that became kerosene, but dump
9016-615: Was forced to discontinue strike benefits in February 1915. There was destitution in the coalfields. With the help of funds from the Rockefeller Foundation , relief programs were organized by the Colorado Committee on Unemployment and Relief. A state agency created by Governor Carlson, offered work to unemployed miners building roads and doing other useful projects. The casualties suffered at Ludlow mobilized public opinion against
9114-452: Was located where the Tomoka River joins the Halifax River , just north of present-day Ormond Beach, when Álvaro Mexía passed through it in 1605 on a mission to establish relations between Spanish Florida and the Surruque and Ais peoples of the coast of what are now Volusia and Brevard counties. Little is known of what happened to inhabitants of the area after Mexía's visit. The city
9212-480: Was no one to take my place. We were in a new business, and if I had not stayed it must have stopped—and with so many dependent on it." Rockefeller was an abolitionist who voted for President Abraham Lincoln and supported the then-new Republican Party . As he said, "God gave me money", and he did not apologize for it. He felt at ease and righteous following Methodist preacher John Wesley 's dictum, "gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." During
9310-493: Was of Ulster Scot descent. One source says that some ancestors were Huguenots , the Roquefeuille family, who fled to Germany from France during the reign of Louis XIV and a period of religious persecution. By the time their descendants immigrated to North America, their name had taken German form. William Sr. worked first as a lumberman and then a traveling salesman. He claimed to be a "botanic physician" who sold elixirs, and
9408-483: Was the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, originally used to control unions, but later central to the breakup of the Standard Oil trust. Ohio was especially vigorous in applying its state antitrust laws, and finally forced a separation of Standard Oil of Ohio from the rest of the company in 1892, the first step in the dissolution of the trust. In the 1890s, Rockefeller expanded into iron ore and ore transportation, forcing
9506-777: Was turned over to John Dustin Archbold and Rockefeller bought a new estate, Pocantico Hills , north of New York City, turning more time to leisure activities including the new sports of bicycling and golf. Upon his ascent to the presidency, Theodore Roosevelt initiated dozens of suits under the Sherman Antitrust Act and coaxed reforms out of Congress. In 1901, U.S. Steel , then controlled by J. Pierpont Morgan , having bought Andrew Carnegie's steel assets, offered to buy Standard's iron interests as well. A deal brokered by Henry Clay Frick exchanged Standard's iron interests for U.S. Steel stock and gave Rockefeller and his son membership on
9604-487: Was used chiefly to create the modern systematic approach of targeted philanthropy through the creation of foundations that supported medicine, education, and scientific research. His foundations pioneered developments in medical research and were instrumental in the near-eradication of hookworm in the American South, and yellow fever in the United States. He and Carnegie gave form and impetus through their charities to
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