The Great Outdoors
It was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that outdoor recreation took on a life of its own and became the leisure activity we know today. Starting at that time, people increasingly spent time outdoors to reconnect with nature and recapture part of what was being lost in the increasing age of industrialization. Robust outdoor activity was thought to build character and help maintain physical health; it also became more acceptable for women to participate in physical activities as well as men. Outdoor life quickly became synonymous with good health and adventure.
Camping
Camping as a recreational activity became popular in the early 20th century, and newfound freedom brought by the automobile helped facilitate weekend excursions. Encouraged also by the convenience of railroad and streetcar travel, the middle class of Washington began to spend their summers “in the country.” Not all visitors to the county stayed in resort hotels. A substantial number of city dwellers set up camp along the Potomac River for the summer.
Lewis Reed, at left, poses with friends in a campsite hammock.
From "The News" (Frederick, 1927):
“Outdoor recreation has taken an intense grip upon the American people, and to most all there comes the time for a break from so-called civilization, the desire to revert to the primitive, to enjoy the independence that comes with camp migrations.”
From "The Evening Star" (Washington, 1911):
“City Folks in Tents... “More people from the cities are now camping in tents along the Potomac... than was ever known before.”
Setting Up Camp
Pitching wood-framed tents
^A handy mirror is attached to the tree in the foreground to add to the convenience of camping for the women.
Camping in the early 1900s was a full skirt and corset affair. Ladies who tended to the cooking over an open fire wore starched aprons over ankle-length skirts topped with billowy blouses.
Some of the gear required for longer stays during the first half of the 20th century may have included stoves, cots, lanterns, ice chests, clothing, tents, and sleeping bags. All of that gear must have been a chore to pack and tote.
^Equipped with everything needed for comfort including special combination coffee from Sears & Roebuck. Kerosene lamps (center foreground) were used to light the campsite in the evenings.
Soup’s On! Women gather around the camp stove at mealtime.
Even when camping there's laundry to be done.
Prepping food or washing up? The women's work is never done!
Campsite Activities
Meanwhile, the boys are clearly hard at work, too...
What's camping without a bonfire at night? Note the American flags at the apex of the tent poles. Could this be a July 4th camping trip?
Contemplating the glow. Lewis Reed is leaning against the tree left of center.
The gang enjoying a couple nice meals Above, the cooking area can be seen in the background. Below, several of the folks eating lunch are still in bathing costumes.
For entertainment, campers would read, swim, and go rowing in canoes. Below, a man whittles a stick of wood while the ladies read the newspaper. At left, enjoying the fresh air and scenic river views.
Picturesque campsite with Japanese lanterns, table set for lunch, and the inviting shade of a tent.
Fishing
Lewis Reed (with his catch in the photo at right) was an avid fisherman and loved to escape to the great outdoors, especially in the summer. He frequently fished while camping with friends and family along the Potomac River at Popes Creek, Maryland, and took numerous photos of his adventures.
L-R: Bernie Hanshew, [unknown man], Lewis Reed, displaying the day's haul on the banks of the Potomac. What did they catch? On any given day, an assortment of small-mouthed black bass, rock, perch, trout, catfish, carp, and crappies.
Likely a posed photo, perhaps a lookalike for Huckleberry Finn? Photo dated 1910.
Fishing for crabs on the Potomac
Popes Creek was once the terminal of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad. A mail and passenger boat traveled daily between Popes Creek and Colonial Beach, Virginia in the early 1900s.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
The day's catch
Mayor William McBain of Gaithersburg waiting for a bite (photo c. 1930s)
Canoeing
What could be more pleasant and exhilarating than an outing on the placid waters of the Potomac River? Canoeing on the Potomac has been a favorite pastime for generations of vacationers.
From The Washington Times (1904):
“No other sport or pastime has found more favor among Washingtonians than has canoeing... a pleasure that is surpassed by none.”
Canoeing on the Potomac near the District; Aqueduct Bridge in background
Canoes were not just about getting away from it all – couples paddling together on the river was a growing fad for courting young men and women in the early 20th century. Notice the ladies riding as passengers in the center of these boats are seated on chairs.
A wide age range of canoe enthusiasts here. The dark outfits with white trim are bathing costumes, for taking a swim off the boat.
Mid-venture repairs.
Did we find these inexplicable wings on our canoe adventure? The answer is lost to time...
^Rowing Crews on the Potomac River, 1913
Canoes were built in all sizes, some to hold only two, and some capable of safely transporting a carload of persons. The largest canoe on the Potomac during this time was the “war canoe” of the Analostan Boat Club, which could comfortably accommodate two dozen people.
Canoe Sailing
Sailing canoes gained popularity during the early 1900s, especially when canoeing in more open waters like the Potomac. Canoes like this offered freedom to set off on unplanned trips and as a way to escape the pressures of the city.
Canoe sailing on the Potomac River, 1915.