Irma Jones Jester was one of Worcester County’s legendary figures. Born in 1900, she taught school for over 45 years beginning in a one room schoolhouse in the village of Sinepuxent near today’s Frontier Town. In later years, she taught fifth grade at the old Ocean City Elementary School (which is now City Hall) and… Read more »
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 »
Lt. James Baker was with little doubt the most famous officer in the history of the Ocean City Police Department.He served from 1965 to 1998 and in his own words, “enjoyed every minute of it.” At 6’4” and over 450 pounds, “Big Bake” was not a man to mess with if you intended on breaking… Read more »
West Ocean City has changed noticeably in the years since World War II. The unincorporated area on the mainland west of the Route 50 Bridge where today new motels, restaurants and shopping malls appear to expand on a daily basis was once a land of farms, produce stands, and a few small rental cabins.The Route… Read more »
The Jolly Roger Amusement Park began in 1963 as an Arnold Palmer Miniature Golf Course and Driving Range. At that time, the city limits ended at 41st Street and the area along the bayside at 30th Street was considered “way up the beach.”Owner Charles “Buddy” Jenkins added kiddie rides the next summer (including a train and a… Read more »
Jackson’s Casino was Ocean City’s most popular nightclub in the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s. Music, drinks and slot machines were the main attraction at the big wooden building on the Boardwalk between 9th and 10th streets.Jcakson’s was where the locals hung out and many still recall the special façade built to meet blackout requirements during… Read more »
Prior to the mid-1970s, Ocean City was a seasonal resort. The tourist season ran from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day and it was said, “you could fire a cannon down Baltimore Avenue the day after Labor Day and not hit a soul.” Less than 900 people lived in town year-round.This aerial photo from the… Read more »
The English Diner opened in 1939 on the corner of Wicomico Street and Baltimore Avenue. Relocated 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 that… Read more »
Much of the bayside was still undeveloped in this aerial view of 53rd to 54th streets in the mid-1970s.Boulden’s Marina — today the site of Beach World, Chauncey’s Surf-O-Rama and Bayside Rentals — is in the center of the photo while the large grassy area is now occupied by the San Remo Condominium.The small island in the… Read more »
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 space by… Read more »
