James B. Caine (1922-2006) was one of Ocean City’s legendary figures and the man most responsible for the development of the northern part of town. He dredged and filled the marshlands along the bayside in the late 1960s and built lagoons and bulkheads which today give the uptown area much of its character.
In the words of former Mayor Roland “Fish” Powell, “if there was any person in the history of Ocean City responsible for putting more property on the tax rolls than Jim Caine, then I don’t know who it was.”
Caine, pictured here with his dog Tuesday, made and lost several fortunes but was always ahead of his time. Some of the places he created include Caine Keys I and II, Caine Woods, Caine Harbor Mile and the massive Montego Bay development.
By the early 1970s, it was impossible to go more than a few blocks in north Ocean City without seeing a Caine project. He changed the landscape of the town all the way to the Delaware line.
Photo courtesy Mary Caine