Cushman Books
Fueling Des Moines: Cushman-Wilson Oil Company
Ever wonder what it was like to run a petroleum company during the challenges of the New Deal and World War II? When the federal government instituted strict regulatory codes and mandatory gasoline rationing, small businesses across America faced unprecedented hurdles. Who was responsible for enforcing these rules, and how did they get the public to cooperate? Despite staggering obstacles, one family business simply kept the gasoline flowing across central Iowa.
At its peak, Cushman-Wilson Oil Company was the largest branded, privately owned petroleum distributor in Iowa, selling millions of gallons of product by 1965. Yet, the real wealth of this company was never measured in barrels. This is their story.
Founded in 1914 by the author’s grandfather, James Moore Cushman, and later led by her father and business partners Henry and Walter Wilson, the company supplied gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, and lubricants across central Iowa for more than fifty years. Drawing on family autobiographies, letters, photographs, newspaper archives, and childhood memories, Fueling Des Moines reveals the vivid, day-to-day realities of a mid-century business:
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Surviving Crisis: Navigating a tragic 1928 explosion that claimed two lives, investigating theft, collecting overdue accounts with persistence and occasional humor, and managing the aggressive local "gas wars."
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National History, Local Impact: Exploring the company’s role during the New Deal—when James Moore Cushman was appointed Iowa regional director of the National Petroleum Code—and the practical headaches of WWII rationing.
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Post-War Levity: Following Robert Parker Cushman Sr. as he brought humor to the long-running Iowa Good Will Tours as master of ceremonies, turning business gatherings into memorable events with practical jokes.
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The Power of Work: Understanding a man—the author's father—who didn't look forward to Friday, but looked forward to Monday because it meant a full week of good work ahead.
This is the story of a locally rooted company that supported families, sponsored community events, and left a lasting legacy of hard work, character, and quiet competence—a legacy the author only fully discovered years later.
Featuring 34 archival photographs of gas stations from the 1930s through the 1950s, the book brings the look and feel of that era to life.
