Ocean City was a seasonal small town in 1946. The season ran from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It was said you could fire a cannon down Baltimore Avenue after Labor Day and not hit a single soul.
The Boardwalk ended at 15th Street and Coastal Highway and was only one lane north and one lane south. On windy days, it was often covered in sand. The Commander was the most northern hotel in Ocean City at this time.
The photo shows the beachfront from 8th to 12th streets. The large Boardwalk hotels are the Lankford, the George Washington, the Royalton, the Mayflower and the Stephen Decatur. Today only the Lankford remains. The road behind the buildings is Philadelphia Avenue. St. Louis Avenue had not extended that far north in 1946. The Ship Café can be seen near the bayside while the undeveloped area in the upper right is today’s residential neighborhood Mallard Island.
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Photo courtesy Steve Smethurst