Many observers of the American scene, writing in the 1920s and 1930s, commented on the roaming nature of the American spirit and the nation's love of adventure and the open road. 7 This spirit manifested itself in a love for the automobile and the rising popularity of camping. Camping sites and tourist motor courts began to spring up along the roadside as more people roamed the countryside in their cars.
In the 1920s the travel trailer was a novelty embraced by the vacationing throngs as a more comfortable and convenient alternative to tents and a cheaper one than tourist cabins. The trailer represented modernity, freedom and adventure on a budget. In fact, 1929 saw the publication of Tom Swift and His House on Wheels, a whiz bang adventure featuring Tom tooling around the countryside comfortably in his motorcar by day and snug in his house-on-wheels at night. 8
Burlington Free Press article c. 1954. memorabilia. Farrington family.