Shantytown Village was developed by Daniel Trimper IV and opened in 1976 next to the Route 50 Bridge in West Ocean City. It was designed to resemble a New England fishing village and was modeled on photos taken by Trimper during a visit to Nantucket Island.It was a popular attraction for Ocean City’s visitors and… Read more »
Category: Vanishing Ocean City
Vanishing Ocean City
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The railroad brought tourists to Ocean City in the early part of the 20th Century and excursion trains made daily trips bringing hundreds of people to town each day. These folks would stroll the Boardwalk while some would rent bathing suits and spend a few hours on the beach. There was no Ocean City Beach… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
In April 2013, the Mayor and City Council, acting on a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Committee, decided to get rid of the five wooden beach toys that had delighted kids for nearly 20 years. The playground-style toys had been donated by local business owners and placed on the beach each summer. They consisted… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
Ocean City was a seasonal town (Memorial Day to Labor Day) and didn’t get a full-time library until the mid-1960s. The Ocean City branch of the Worcester County Library opened in July 1966 on the corner of 14th Street and Philadelphia Avenue. It served the community for over 40 years but had outgrown its cramped… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The Belmont was a landmark on Dorchester Street with its distinctive green and yellow façade for many years.Located just a few steps off the Boardwalk, it had been built by Lambert Ayres in 1897. Lizzie Hearne bought the hotel in 1902 and she and her descendants ran it and later its attached sister hotel, the… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The Misty Harbor began a life as a one-story motel known as the “New Beach Motel” in the early 1950s. Located at 2501 Philadelphia Avenue, the motel was sold to Ocean City Mayor Hugh Thomas Cropper in 1964.The name was changed to the “Misty Harbor” for the 1965 season and a second floor was later… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
Surf mats were popular until boogie boards took over in the late 1970s and many a “baby boomer” learned to the ride the waves on the canvas-covered inflatables.Called “rafts” by the tourists, the locals always referred to them as “surf mats.” Many became quite adept at riding them while kneeling or, in rare cases, even… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
Two organizations that have had a positive impact on sport fishing in this area are the Ocean City Marlin Club and the Ocean City Light Tackle Club, pictured above at the Dorchester Street dock circa 1955.In 1938, there had been 781 white marlin reported caught offshore and in 1939 a total of 1,258 — with… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The English Diner opened in 1939 on the corner of Wicomico Street and Baltimore Avenue. Moved to 21st Street and Philadelphia Avenue in the last 1950s, it was one of Ocean City’s most popular family restaurants.It was known as “Little City Hall” for the daily breakfast gatherings of Ocean City’s political elite during the years… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) served the town with great distinction during the summer of 1942-45. With most men over the age of 18 in the service, the OCBP relied on young men aged 15 to 17 to protect the beaches. It is a proud footnote to the history of Ocean City that no… Read more »