Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Intro

With the auto route traveling west, in a house built on a Ford with all modern convenience of camp life. Our house is equipped with a gasoline stove for cooking, a small wood heater for heating, 1 small medicine cabinet, with all necessities of a young hospital. Folding table and chairs, 1 day bed, used in day time as a seat and a place for our bed covers, when not in use. One cupboard and all cooking utensils including a pressure cooker. We fasten tent and camp cots on out side. All in all we have a very comfortable way to travel. Not to fast but just fast enough for the most enjoyable time of our lives.

Following you will find each day drive as we journey on.

    - Miriam Abia McFate

Research suggests their journey began from the S. (Samuel) McFate parcel highlighted here in a 1927 Sheridan Township property map. Scan courtesy of Grinnell College Libraries, Special Collections and Archives.

This image is NOT from the trip, but it is representative of the time so the McFate’s 1926 scene may have been quite similar. Image courtesy of Model T Central.