▁prison ▁system ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁concerned ▁that ▁nature ▁was ▁being ▁destroyed ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁new ▁develop ments . ▁Guide books ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁ 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 5 0 s ▁described ▁new ▁pr isons , ▁as yl ums ▁and ▁institutions ▁for ▁the ▁de af ▁and ▁blind , ▁and ▁ur ged ▁tour ists ▁to ▁visit ▁these ▁s ights . ▁ ▁Account s ▁of ▁these ▁vis its ▁written ▁by ▁Charles ▁Dick ens , ▁Har ri et ▁Mart ine au , ▁L yd ia ▁Sig our ney ▁and ▁Caroline ▁Gil man ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁mag az ines ▁and ▁travel ▁books . ▁Sig our ney ' s ▁Sc enes ▁in ▁My ▁Native ▁Land ▁( 1 8 4 5 ) ▁included ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁her ▁tour ▁of ▁Ni ag ara ▁F alls ▁and ▁other ▁places ▁of ▁scen ic ▁interest ▁with ▁accounts ▁of ▁her ▁vis its ▁to ▁pr isons ▁and ▁as yl ums . ▁Many ▁visited ▁these ▁institutions ▁because ▁nothing ▁like ▁them ▁had ▁existed ▁before . ▁The ▁buildings ▁which ▁hous ed ▁them ▁were ▁themselves ▁monument al , ▁often ▁placed ▁on ▁hill top s ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁accomplish ment . ▁ ▁Early ▁tour ism ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁city ▁tour ing ▁had ▁marked ▁significant ▁sh ifts ▁in ▁the ▁way ▁Americans ▁perce ived , ▁organized ▁and ▁moved ▁around ▁in ▁urban ▁environments . ▁Urban ▁tour ism ▁became ▁a ▁prof itable ▁industry ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁as ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁tour ▁ag encies , ▁rail road ▁passenger