Travel and Tourism
In the mid-nineteenth century, traveling for recreation became increasingly popular in the United States. Advancements in transportation, especially railroads and steamships, coupled with romantic conceptions of the nation's landscape helped encourage the growth of domestic tourism. People who would have earlier balked at the inconvenience of traveling began to take journeys for spiritual renewal, physical regeneration, freedom from social constraints, or simply to "see the sights." By the middle of the century, many enterprising Americans were ready to serve the needs of this new class called tourists. As industrialization and urbanization transformed American life, many middle and upper class Americans... more...
Original Documents and Other Primary Sources
| La Crosse's first motor-bike, 1900 |
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| A trip to Wisconsin Dells in 1879 |
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| A trip through the Dells in 1849 |
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| A survey of past and present hotels in Wisconsin, 1898 |
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| Door County in 1942: land of "sunshine, fruit, and water" |
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| From sport to relaxation in Northern Wisconsin resorts, 1926 |
| An Aqualand water ski used for slalom skiing |
| Fly-fishing in the Northwoods, 1875-1877. |
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| A fisherman's guide to Northern Wisconsin |
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| An illustrated guide for tourists to Wisconsin Dells, 1875 |
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| A 1923 brochure for Ross's Teal Lake Lodge near Hayward |
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| John Nolen drafts a plan for a state park system in 1909 |
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| A 1910 automobile travel guide to Wisconsin |
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| A travel guide to healthful resorts in the upper Midwest, 1875 |
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| The Pneumatic, a progressive monthly paper for cyclists |
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| Stories from Wisconsin's circuses, 1850-1908 |
| Increase Lapham examining a meteorite, ca. 1868 |
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| Photographs of the Starlite Drive-in in Green Bay, 1959 |
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| Pictures of tourist hotels and activities, 1885-1939 |
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| The photographs of H.H. Bennett |
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| Images of the circus in Wisconsin |
| Eagle River Stadium, Wisconsin's hockey capitol |
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| Winter quarters for the Ringling Brothers Circus |
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| Indianapolis Outing Club in Oneida County |
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| Union House Hotel in De Pere |
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| Forest Lodge in Namekagon |
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| H.H. Bennett's studio in Wisconsin Dells |
Primary Sources Available Elsewhere
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| Wisconsin Blue Books |
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| Resorts along the Upper Mississippi River, ca. 1890 |
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| Images of Lake Geneva, the "Newport of the West" |
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| Historic postcards of Milwaukee |
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| Postcards from the "miracle" springs in Waukesha |
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| Transforming the natural world for tourism in the Dells |
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| The imaginary landcapes of Wisconsin Dells tourist attractions |
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| Automobiles transform the Wisconsin Dells |
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| A bird's-eye-view of lakes and resorts in Waukesha County, ca. 1890 |
| Notes on Bent's Camp, in Vilas County, 1906. |
Related Links
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Learn about other topics from our new book, Wisconsin History Highlights
Watch a video clip about an African American resort area
Read more about the history of bicycling in Wisconsin from the DOT
Take a driving tour of the Dells/Baraboo region
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