By Dawn Bastian – TCT Hall of Fame Member
Remembering and honoring, Mr. James M. Morrison, who had the idea of starting an auto camping club, the Tin Can Tourist of the World in 1919.
The history of the club has been researched and documented thanks to Royal Chief, Forrest & Jeri Bone. The Tin Can Tourist continues today thanks to Forrest & Jeri Bone and Royal Chief, Terry & Michelle Bone.
I wondered, where are the first early Royal Chiefs of T.C.T. ? I have “taken up” the mission of finding them and documenting where they are buried, so that they will never be lost to history. These early travelers and T.C.T. members are inspiring to me and I imagine what amazing adventures they must have had. Finding them is my way of telling a small piece of their life stories.
Mr. James M. Morrison of Chicago IL, is credited as being the “founder” and first Royal Chief of the Tin Can Tourist. It is written in the Constitution and By-Laws, Tin Can Tourist of the World, Inc., Revised and Printed, March 1953; “Tin Can Tourist of the World, Inc. History: The closing days of 1919 found motor camping in Florida in its infancy, as evidenced by the fact that on December 1st of that year, only twenty-two camping outfits were to be found in De Soto Park, Tampa, the first public camp ground in the State.
These pioneers, in order that they might become better acquainted with each other, gathered in small groups around a number of campfires, where they whiled away the evenings by singing songs and telling stories, as well as relating their many thrilling experiences of road life. There were at that time no worthwhile highways or camps, and the tourists after a hard day’s drive of some forty or fifty miles often had to spend the night by the lonely roadside.
One of the early campers in De Soto Park, Mr. James M. Morrison of Illinois, conceived the idea of forming an organization, the objects of which were: 1. To unite fraternity all auto campers. 2. To establish a feeling of friendship. 3. To provide clean and wholesome entertainment at all meetings. 4. To spread the gospel of cleanliness in all camps. As well as help enforce the rules governing all public camp grounds.
The organization meeting was held in De Soto Park, in January 1920, and a Constitution and By-Laws were adopted at a future meeting.” In December 1919, Mr. & Mrs. William Austin wrote about their travels and their time at De Soto Park saying, “Mr. Morrison was elected as the Honorary Can Opener; his health was very bad, so he very seldom came out; He had a walled tent on the side of his car.“ I believe he was traveling with his wife and son but not found any proof of that as of yet.
January 28, 1920, it was reported in the Tampa Times, there were 1500 members registered in the Tin Can Tourist. December 30, 1920, The Jacksonville Journal reports that there are 23,000 members in every state of the union and some in Canada and Mexico.
After a few years of researching Mr. James M. Morrison’s genealogy, contacting relatives, reading old newspapers, contacting cemeteries, sending away for death certificates and getting permission to clean headstones, finally, my mission is complete for Mr. James M. Morrison, Royal Chief of T.C.T. 1919-1921.
He was an interesting man with a life story that affected all of us that enjoy being a Tin Can Tourist member today. Mr James M. Morrison was born in Saginaw Michigan, Feb. 26, 1879. He married Emma G. Welch on Jan. 1, 1901. James and Emma had one son named John P. Morrison, born Jan. 3, 1904. In 1900, James was a clerk in Edinburgh Hotel downtown Chicago by 1910 his occupation was listed as a Bartender at a saloon in downtown Chicago.
Unfortunately, James had Pulmonary Tuberculosis, which is one of the reasons he was traveling to Florida, it was the “climate cure” in the early 1900’s but there was no cure for TB and he passed away of the disease on January 21, 1921. In his 41 years he went by the names of J.M.Morrison, John M. Morrison, John Mark Morrison, Dr. Morrison, and John M. “James” Morrison, he was a hard person to keep track of.
On May 21, 2026 I took a road trip to the Evergreen Park Cemetery, Evergreen Park, Cook County, IL. to honor James and Emma Morrison.
