Tourist Cabin from Irish Hills Area of Michigan, circa 1935

Motorists weary of roughing it in tents found that homey little cabins like this one offered a convenient, economical alternative. By the 1930s, tourist cabins were popping up everywhere. This cabin, once part of a cluster along U.S. Route 12 in Michigan's Irish Hills, featured a double bed, a small potbellied stove for year-round use, and a chamber pot -- a portable commode.