Electrically powered interurban trolley systems were popular in metropolitan areas in the early twentieth century before personal automobiles became common. The first interurban system in the Tulsa area began in Sapulpa, southwest of Red Fork, and ran south to the Glenn Pool oil field beginning in 1907, allowing oil workers to live in Sapulpa and commute easily to Glenn Pool. In 1918, the line was extended northeast to Tulsa, ending in the Greenwood District. As automobile ownership became widespread, commuters shifted from public transportation to private vehicles and favored roads designated as U.S. Highways because they offered improved, paved roadbeds and access to services. By 1935, this stretch of Sapulpa Road had become a service hub for Route 66 travelers, with four cottage court motels, five gas stations, three repair shops, two cafes, and a grocery store, a pattern typical of areas just outside dense city centers where prices were likely lower and maneuvering was easier.