The Wabash Railway, with origins dating back to 1838, was a strong Midwestern carrier until Amtrak took over the national passenger railroad system in 1971.

Some of the earliest tourist resorts grew up around natural wonders that had been visited since the late 18th century. The most popular of these was "America's greatest wonder" Niagara Falls. It had already been established as a must-see tourist site before the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, but its access was limited to the wealthy, who could expend time and money to take an overland stagecoach on poor to nonexistent roads. After the Erie Canal was completed, throngs of visitors reached Niagara Falls, and the spot became quickly commercialized by souvenir vendors, guides, boat operators, and photographers.

Tourists continued to visit Niagara Falls in droves through the 20th century. It became an especially popular place for honeymooners. Tourists arrived by rail and, increasingly, by automobile. In an effort to compete with automobiles, the Wabash Railway offered convenient excursion trips with economical fares in its 1929 brochure. This is also an indication that the vacation audience was broadening. The brochure describes the advantages of the city of Niagara Falls, which offered "every modern convenience of city life for the visitor" and "many modern comfortable and home-like hotels."