The Alaska Stand was founded by Benjamin Givarz in 1933 on the Boardwalk at Wicomico Street. Not only did Mr. Givarz overcome economic problems associated with the Great Depression but also lost a prime week of the tourist season that year to the hurricane that created Ocean City’s Inlet. The Alaska Stand survived both to… Read more »
Ocean City’s Easter parade and sunrise service began in 1947. Centered on the bandstand at Somerset Street, it become an annual tradition for over 25 years.Many locals recall getting dressed up and parading down the Boardwalk in hope of winning a prize for their Easter outfits. Others remember the Lions Club sponsoring an Easter egg… Read more »
In the fall of 1969 Ocean City residents could drive to 112th Street and watch the beginning of a new era in the town’s history. There on the beachfront a uniquely designed building was being constructed by visionary developer John Whaley’s Caliban Corporation.Known as the High Point (and later as the High Point South when… Read more »
A popular form of fishing that is affordable for the average fisherman is on a party boat or “head boat” (so-called because there is a flat charge per angler or “per head.”) These boats provide rods, reels and bait and a mate to untangle lines and help bring fish aboard.One of the most famous was… Read more »
The Hamilton Hotel, a 68-year-old Ocean City landmark on the corner of 3rd Street and the Boardwalk, burned to the ground on Dec. 14, 1969.The early Sunday morning blaze was discovered by Sergeant James Baker of the Ocean City Police Department as he made his rounds. The fire department was on the scene about five minutes… Read more »
Ocean City’s original Pier building was completed in 1907 on the Boardwalk at Wicomico Street. In addition to shops and a dancing pavilion, it also featured a theatre and several refreshment stands. It was also the entrance to the Ocean City Fishing Pier.The building was raised 10 feet above the beach and built on wooden… Read more »
Watterson “Mack” Miller (1902-1985) was one of Ocean City’s legendary characters. A member of a prominent Louisville, Kentucky family, he dropped out of Dartmouth College and traveled the world. Arriving in Ocean City in 1942 he was employed by the CP Cropper Fish and Oyster Co and later as a handyman for the Showell family… Read more »
The Dinner Bell was a popular Ocean City restaurant in the years following World War II. Located on the southeast corner of 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue in the Monticello Hotel, it served homestyle cooking with an Eastern Shore flavor. Many still remember their delicious fresh baked rolls and fried chicken.The waitresses lived in a dormitory… Read more »
Baltimore Avenue was Ocean City’s “Main Street” when this postcard was printed circa 1920. This view looks north from Wicomico Street and includes some of the town’s most historic structures.The building in the left foreground is the Seaside Hotel (built in 1876) and beyond it with the tall brick smokestack is the electric power plant…. Read more »
The March Storm of 1962 was one of the most important events in Ocean City’s history. It destroyed more property than any storm before or since, caused the death of two local citizens, leveled the Boardwalk, and led to the biggest public works projects ever undertaken by the town.This storm was also the turning point… Read more »