Notes
It has not been possible to identify each of the specific campgrounds in which Ben and Mary stayed. Apparently, most towns and cities either did not consider it important to preserve this little bit of history, or have not placed it on their websites.
However, www.oldredtrail.com provides information about these campgrounds in general:
"Around 1920, free municipal campgrounds were set up in many towns to accommodate auto travelers. The popularity of the automobile quadrupled the number of car registrations from 4.6 million in 1917 to 19.2 million in 1926. Municipal auto camps became a necessity for travelers as they were the only economically viable places the majority of citizens could stay while traveling. According to the United States Touring Bureau, a 1922 survey disclosed there were 1200 cities and towns in the country offering camping grounds and facilities to auto tourists, many without charge. Most provided conveniences such as police protection, electric lights, toilets, cooking facilities and permanent shelters. These public camps were sponsored by the town park board, civic clubs or chamber of commerce and were often located in centrally located parks. Town boosters encouraged campers to camp in town and purchase goods from local businesses. In Americans on the Road: From Autocamp to Motel, 1910-1945, W. J. Belasco stated: 'to play host to automobile tourists was to participate in an important new movement, to have special contact with the outside world'. This desire to accommodate those from the 'outside world' often forced towns into costly competition for improved conditions such as flushing toilets, showers and community buildings as word of mouth became a vital form of advertisement for tourist camps."