The year 1896 is an important date in the history of Ocean City for it marked the beginning of the commercial fishing industry and changed a small seasonal resort to a year-round town.Captain Christopher Ludlam brought a crew of fishermen from Cape May, N.J. and began pound fishing off the coast of Ocean City in… Read more »
Category: Vanishing Ocean City
Vanishing Ocean City
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The development of Ocean Pines by the Boise Cascade Corporation began in 1968 and continued at a rapid pace throughout the 1970s. In the early years, there was no Route 90 bridge and unique marketing strategies to sell lots “in the middle of nowhere” included Hawaiian Luaus, a private clubhouse and pool on the beach… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
Hugh Thomas Cropper, Jr. was appointed to serve out the term of Mayor Daniel Trimper, Jr., who had resigned on May 15, 1959 to join the Worcester County Commissioners.Cropper went on to win several elections and served as mayor throughout the 1960s. During the March Storm of 1962, he was instrumental in obtaining the state… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
This photo depicts the corner of Caroline Street and Philadelphia Avenue in 1930. The homemade tennis court was on the west side of the home of Irving Mumford, who was famous for taking a daily dip in the ocean which he did on a year-round basis regardless of the weather.The sign on the large brown… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The Knickerbocker Ferry passes through the Route 50 Bridge in February 1971. Planned as a floating shopping mall with two restaurants and a 200-seat movie theater, the former Staten Island, N.Y. Ferry met with nothing but disaster during her three-and-a-half year stint in Ocean City.Owned by the Washington-based company, Ferryboat Ltd., the boat got stuck… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The Ground Observer Corps was made up of civilian volunteers in the early years of World War II. Part of the “Aircraft Warning Service,” spotters used visual aids such as silhouettes and spotter cards to identify potential enemy aircraft along the coastline in 1942 and 1943. No enemy aircraft were ever spotted off the Maryland… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The Hastings Hotel was built in 1916 on the Boardwalk between 2nd and 3rd streets by its namesake Josephine Hastings. It was purchased by Willye Conner Ludlam in the mid-1920s who built the Miramar next door and connected it to the Hastings. The Hastings-Miramar was later managed by Mrs. Ludlam’s daughter-in-law Thelma Conner, who became… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
The Sinepxuent Bay Bridge (now known as the Harry Kelley Memorial Bridge or more commonly the Route 50 Bridge) was under construction in this 1942 photo. This bridge replaced the original single lane automobile bridge, which had been built in 1916 and entered town at Worcester Street. Construction began in 1940 and was completed by… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
St. Rose’s Summer Home for Orphans was built by the Sisters of Charity of Washington, DC in 1898. It was far outside of city limits at the time (Ocean City ended at 7th Street in that era) and the road to 14th Street was unpaved. Supplies were delivered by ox cart and horse drawn wagon… Read more »
Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann
Eight blocks of Boardwalk from N. Division to 1st streets were rebuilt in concrete and widened by 10 feet between January and April in 1955. The Mayor and Council had decided to replace the wood with concrete due to maintenance costs. The George Bert Cropper Company did the work for $43,819 and used some of… Read more »