Standard Oil Moved to New York
As his company became more and more dependent on the activities of other businesses, Rockefeller decided to move Standard Oil to New York. There, he joined some of his fellow businessmen by building a mansion in midtown and forming his business headquarters downtown. Most of the giants in the industry commuted to their offices in carriages or chauffeur driven automobiles.
John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Martha Baird Allen circa 1951. Photo by Granger / Shutterstock
Rockefeller got to work every day using the railroad, where he would hand out nickels and dimes. Reading the daily newspaper, he was well-aware of the issues that would be brought against his empire by the Sherman Antitrust Act, which appeared in 1890 as a tool for the management of labor unions. However, it also allowed for measures to break apart the Standard Oil Trust.