Traveling the Old Red Trail

IMPACT OF ROADS ON COMMUNITIES
Major roads, like the Red Trail Line had a major impact on the towns through which they passed. Drivers and their families would often stop to eat, fill up their gas tank, have repair work done on their automobile, do some shopping, and they may even stay overnight at a hotel or motel. In each of these cases, the travelers spent money that helped the community to grow.

Since most of these towns existed before the development of the automobile, some services changed and some new ones developed. Blacksmiths, who made horseshoes, now might do car repairs. Since automobiles required gasoline, service stations needed to locate at places where travelers could conveniently fill up their gas tank. In some of the larger towns, auto dealerships or places that sold cars were created. Since many people could not afford to pay cash for a new automobile, additional banks were established to help people finance these autos.

When people first started to travel on the Red Line Trail there were no gas or service stations. If they needed gasoline for their automobile, they usually went to the blacksmith shop, grocery store, or hardware store, where it was stored in a large barrel or drum. The owner of the store used a dipper and filled a gas can. After paying for the gas, the customer returned to his vehicle and, with a filter and funnel, poured it into the automobile’s gas tank. This process was messy and inconvenient. When gas pumps began to appear along the trail, they were usually located on the sidewalk, next to the street.

By the 1920s, gas stations were located in most of the towns along the Red Line Trail. Because early automobiles often had mechanical problems, many of these stations also provided maintenance and repair services.

By the 1970s, automobiles were more reliable and gas prices were more competitive. As a result, people at the station no longer filled your tank, washed your windows, and checked the oil. The service stations became larger, with more pumps, and customers filled up their own gas tanks. By 1990, there were only half as many service stations as there was in 1970 even though there were many more automobiles.

When I-94 was built, some of the towns along the Red Trail Line were bypassed and these towns lost many of their businesses. When this happened, the town’s population was greatly reduced. Next time you are on I-94, notice the number of small towns that you pass by. Most of these towns were connected by the Red Line Trail and later by Highway 10. They have decreased in population since the 1950s when I-94 was constructed through the state.