31. Ohio began the breakup of Standard Oil Trust in 1892
Standard Oil began in Ohio, and it was in the Buckeye State that governments, wary of the power of the oil giant, took the first steps which led to its dissolution. In 1892, through the enforcement of the state’s antitrust laws, Standard Oil of Ohio was forcefully separated from the rest of Rockefeller’s empire. Standard Oil of Ohio survived for another near century, familiar to Ohioans and visitors to the state as Sohio, with gasoline stations bearing that name liberally dotted throughout the state. At the same time Rockefeller led Standard Oil into the iron ore industry, especially the transportation of unrefined ore using the railroad assets he had accrued over the years. The venture into the iron ore business led to conflicts with steel industry magnates such as Andrew Carnegie.