The road's my middle name

Of course, we all know that early man was nomadic and his travels took him from place to place in search of food and water. But by the time of the Greeks, civilization had evolved to such a point that man had time for leisure and scholarly activities?  By the Middle Ages, young nobility were often sent on the “Grand Tour,” a long excursion to Europe’s most cultured cities, at times lasting up to several years.  The practice ushered in a new word – tourist – but by 1789, the tradition of the Grand Tour would come to an abrupt end with onset of the French Revolution.

Meanwhile, early Americans often traveled on well established Native American trails, such as the Natchez Trace, that were not wide enough even for a wagon.  Their destination points were in search of new farm land, game and settlement.  A simple Buffalo Trace through the wilderness gained the attention of the government in 1806 when President Jefferson began construction of the first federally funded highway.

Construction of the National Road begins in Cumberland, Maryland in 1811, and reaches Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) by 1818.  Though planned to run through Jefferson City, Missouri, funding ran out in 1839 with the road reaching as far as Vandalia, Illinois.

The National Road passing through six states would become heavily travelled bringing stage coaches, livestock and settlers west. New roadside towns, inns, taverns and other businesses quickly developed.  The Pony Express also used this road.

The boom however, was short lived.  By 1853, the first iron horse reaches the Ohio River, and the railroad’s overwhelming success creates ghost towns along the National Road. Still, by 1900 the people were beginning to return with a new invention, the automobile. Traveling for pleasure had become commonplace and inns, restaurants and tourist cabins began reappearing in those old ghost towns along the National Road that was in such disrepair.

In 1921, an interstate highway system is funded and parts of the old National Road become the new US Highway, Route 40. The purchase and use of the automobile would jump from eight thousand in 1900 to two million by 1915, just in time to drive on the first transcontinental highway, named after President Lincoln.  This is the same Lincoln Highway (Route 27) which now passes through Edison and Highland Park.

The new middle class has time and money to travel and travel they did.  Americans retrofitted their automobiles with innovations that allowed for storage, sleeping and eating areas.  People began to think of the combined house-car concept, pulling wagons behind and on top of car chassis. Trailers were made out of spruce logs, such as this 1912 model and came equipped with beds, a cooking space, water pump, an ice box and bathing area.

In 1936, the revolutionary “Clipper” sleeps 4, with a dinette that converted to a bed, its own water supply and electric lights, even an air conditioning system using dry ice. Its founder, Wally Byam, looked to the aircraft industry and the riveted aluminum body concept used on airplanes. Byam said his trailers cruised down the road “like a stream of air,” and you may be one of the eight million Americans who owns a recreational vehicle but wishes they had his trailer.

 

Its design has remained the same since the “Clipper” style was first introduced, and two thirds of all of his trailers built since 1936 are still on the road. And what is the name of his trailer that has been?  On your next road trip, look for the very popular “Airstream” Trailer, otherwise known as the silver bullet.

- Ghislaine Darden