From collection Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company Collection
Tourists Inn and Filling St. Searsport, Me.
Located on Route 1 on the north side of Searsport, the Tourists Inn and Cabins was among several cabin colonies in the area that offered a lodging alternative to the overnight camps and tourist homes of the 1920s and early 1930s. Individual cabins afforded guests privacy and comfort, including running water and screened porches. The sign, “Inspected and Licensed 1931” assured the traveler of cleanliness. A few years later Duncan Hines began publishing restaurant and lodging guides, and "Recommended by Duncan Hines" signs were sought out by discriminating travelers. The Cash Grocery Store at the Tourists Inn sold snacks for motorists and a small inventory of grocery items. Neighborhood children could walk to the store on a wooden sidewalk to buy penny candy. The women at the tables near the road, possibly members of a sewing circle, are selling needlework, ice cream, cakes and candy to support the local church.
