Dave Cole

Men dressed as Revolutionary War soldiers exit a cab on the way to a bicentennial exhibit in New York, February 1976. Dave Pickoff/AP Men dressed as Revolutionary War soldiers exit a cab on the way to a bicentennial exhibit in New York, February 1976. Dave Pickoff/AP “USA250: The Story of the World’s Greatest Economy” is a yearlong WSJ series examining America’s first 250 years. Read more about it from Editor in Chief Emma Tucker.

By Rachel Wolfe and Dave Cole | Photography by Giancarlo D’Agostaro for WSJ BATON ROUGE, La.—At a busy intersection near highway 190, the Food N’ Geaux gas station sits at an economic crossroads: where Americans’ patience and resilience are tested every time they fill up. On Thursday, the price for a gallon of regular gas with a credit card was $3.84 at Food N’ Geaux. Louisiana’s statewide average hit $3.79, a steep climb from the average of $2.72 just a month ago, according to AAA.

By Rachel Wolfe and Dave Cole | Photography by Giancarlo D’Agostaro for WSJ BATON ROUGE, La.—At a busy intersection near highway 190, the Food N’ Geaux gas station sits at an economic crossroads: where Americans’ patience and resilience are tested every time they fill up. On Thursday, the price for a gallon of regular gas with a credit card was $3.84 at Food N’ Geaux. Louisiana’s statewide average hit $3.79, a steep climb from the average of $2.72 just a month ago, according to AAA.