Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

In the aftermath of the Tarbell exposé, the Rockefellers live in fear of anarchists and terrorists, yet Rockefeller also mellows as he ages. At Pocantico and Forest Hills, he draws strength and peace from the same daily routine. He spends his time seasonally, going to the Hotel Bon Air in Augusta, Georgia, for the winter and back to his home in Lakewood, New Jersey, for the spring. Despite his enormous wealth, he is careful with his money: Even in insignificant instances he can be “an incorrigible skinflint” (505).

Meanwhile, Junior struggles with his father’s legacy, is repelled by John D. Archbold’s stewardship of Standard Oil, and increasingly turns to Abby for both comfort and guidance. Junior and Abby direct the construction and furnishing of a new home for Senior and Cettie at Kykuit, the highest point on the Pocantico estate overlooking the Hudson River. Senior and Cettie move into the home but are disappointed by it. With his characteristic restlessness, Senior begins to make changes to the house and the grounds.

After winning re-election in 1904, an election that coincides with the publication of Tarbell’s book, President Theodore Roosevelt decides that it is time to restrain