Around 1909 the City of St. Louis purchased fourteen new Ford Model Ts. Automobiles were just starting to come into popular use due to Ford’s assembly line production and affordable pricing. Ford’s standard 1909 model cost $850 while competing car companies charged $2-3000 for their models. The new Model Ts were proudly displayed in front of City Hall along with Ford’s slogan coined in 1907: “Watch the Fords Go By!”