Johnny Unitas (1933-2002) was one of the legendary figures in Maryland sports history. A veteran of 18 seasons in the National Football League with all but one with the Baltimore Colts, No. 19 was elected to the Pro Football of Fame in 1979. Unitas was the first quarterback to pass for over 40,000 yards in… Read more »
Billy Heaton Whitworth and his wife Agnes opened Heaton’s Karmel Korn on the Boardwalk near Wicomico Street in 1944. Specializing in saltwater taffy and caramel popcorn, Heaton’s changed both its name and its menu when son-in-law Fred King purchased the business from Agnes after Billy’s death in 1953. Cotton candy, snow balls and candy apples… Read more »
Built by Ethel and Harry Kelley (parents of future Mayor Harry W. Kelley Jr.) and Minnie and John Lynch on the corner of 11th Street and the Boardwalk in 1927, the Royalton was once one of Ocean City’s premier hotels. The Lynch family would soon sell their interest to the Kelleys and open their iconic… Read more »
The Belmont Hotel was a landmark on Dorchester Street for many years. Located just a few steps off the Boardwalk, it was built by Lambert Ayres in 1897. Lizzie Hearne bought it in 1902 and she and her descendants ran it and later its attached sister hotel, the Hearne, for more than 100 years.The Belmont-Hearne,… Read more »
Anthony’s Carryout on 17th Street, an Ocean City icon, will be changing ownership after 48 years under the management of John Simms and family. The business first opened as Anthony’s Tastee-Freez in 1954 with Chris Christ as the original owner. John Simms took over in 1972 and along with his children, Jason, Crissy, Missy and… Read more »
A vacation for a family visiting Ocean City in 1950 was much different than one experienced by their descendants today. There were no condominiums and few motels; most families stayed in the big hotels that lined the Boardwalk or rented an apartment in a privately owned dwelling along Baltimore Avenue or a side street.There were… Read more »
Edwards 5 and 10 was a fixture on the Boardwalk at North Division Street for 75 years. The original store opened in 1937 and was one of just a handful of Ocean City businesses that stayed opened year-round.Managed for many years by Al Harmon, who also served as Ocean City’s fire chief for part of… Read more »
Worcester County was fairly isolated in the years immediately after the Civil War. There was no permanent settlement on the barrier island where Ocean City exists today – just marsh, mosquitos and sand. One would have to get there by boat because there were no bridges either.In 1868, a wealthy New York businessman named Stephen… Read more »
The Miami Court was the first motel in Ocean City. Built in 1948 by Ridge Harman Sr. on 22nd Street and Philadelphia Avenue, the site is now the parking lot for Fish Tales and Bahia Marina.The term motel comes from “motor-hotel.” A motel offered lower-priced accommodations in a less formal setting with “drive up to the… Read more »
The Golden Bull opened in May 1971 on the west side of Coastal Highway between 70th and 71st streets. At 14,000 square feet it immediately became one of Ocean City’s largest restaurants with a seating capacity for 500 guests in the dining room and another 150 in its cocktail lounge. It had an upscale menu… Read more »