by Jodie Foley, Montana Historical Society State Archivist
What does summer mean to you?
Hiking, swimming and picnics?
For most of us summer is the time to hit the
road and explore as a family.
One of the
most familiar sites folks see as they travel our highways is the big yellow and
black KOA sign.
KOA signs have called to weary travelers since the 1960s, but
many don’t know that the company behind the sign has its origins in Montana.
 |
| [Dave Drum, Life Magazine, September 29, 1972] |
In 1962 Dave Drum, local business man and entrepreneur,
noticing the high number of travelers heading for the Seattle World’s Fair, decided
to set up a campground on his property just outside of Billings. Following on that successful summer, Drum
surveyed his visitors asking what they thought of the facilities, location and to give general impressions of the campground.
The enthusiastic responses encouraged Drum and his new partners to think
bigger and by 1969 they had expanded Kampers of America into a network of over 250 modern
campgrounds across the county.
 |
| 1967 KOA Directory |
 |
| Unknown family at the Billings KOA, ca.1960s |
In time KOA’s bright yellow logo became synonymous with America's modern ideas of camping—hot showers, concession stores, swimming pools, game rooms and other amenities meant to make camping accessible and attractive to a larger audience.
Today
there are nearly five hundred KOA campgrounds, either corporate or franchises, in the
United States and Canada.
 |
| 2016 KOA Directory |
Much of the success of the company lies in its ability to
promote both its services, its franchise model and its overall mission in bold
color.
 |
| KOA promotional materials |
With the donation of these records, researchers can now
learn more about a company that has been dedicated to making “Happy Kampers”
for over 50 years. Come see this and
many more collections that explore Montanans' love affair with the great
outdoors! A description of the
collection can be found in our catalog at
http://mhs.mt.gov/
 |
| "We're Happy Campers" coaster, no date |
KOA signs have called to weary travelers since the 1960s, but
many don’t know that the company behind the sign has its origins in Montana.
