Car Culture
Driving through Monument Valley in Dolph Andrus's Maxwell, 1916-1917. Courtesy of the Utah State University - Merrill-Cazier Library via Mountain West Digital Library.
The advent and popularity of the automobile encouraged tourists to explore the remote landscapes of the Mountain West region. At the turn of the century, automobiles were more of a luxury item than most people could afford. Because of the region's sparse population and largely rural status, automobiles were a cause for excitement. The first car in Enterprise, Utah, which arrived in July 1910, was used by the US mail service.
Early automobiles bounced along to see the sites over rough gravel roads and through areas without roads at all. Cars could be so unreliable that some enthusiasts would hitch the horse up behind the auto to ensure they were not stranded. Still, the car ignited a new passion for traveling and was employed to explore the changing vistas of the Mountain West. The development of better paved roads, such as Route 66 (one of the original highways in the US highway system established in 1926), only added to people’s obsession with car travel.
