In the 1900s and up through the mid-1980s, most of Ocean City’s beaches were narrow and in some places nearly non-existent on high tide. There were areas (14th to 16th streets and the blocks between 21st and 25th streets) where breakers rolled almost to the Boardwalk and there was barely room to set up an… Read more »
In 1900 Ocean City’s Boardwalk extended from N. 15th Street to S. 7th Street and was raised several feet above the sand. The beach was narrow in those days and the surf would often roll under the Boardwalk during storms.The photo looks south from where today’s Boardwalk ends — approximately where Harrison’s Harbor Watch and… Read more »
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 that… Read more »
One of Ocean City’s most popular attractions was built by Odie Hartley on 65th Street and Coastal Highway in 1972. Originally known as the “Sea Side Slides,” three concrete slides (painted blue) cascaded down a 38-foot man-made hill where kids would ride rubber mats to splash into landing pools about 2 ½ feet deep.Odie, along… Read more »
Mario’s was one of Ocean City’s legendary restaurants. Opened in 1954 by Vera and Jack Maiorana on 22nd Street and Philadelphia Avenue, it served an extensive Italian menu as well as some of the best steaks in Ocean City. The carryout shop was home to delicious subs that people still talk about today.Mario’s was a favorite… Read more »
In the 1940s into the early ’50s, people in Ocean City received the latest national news from the radio or from daily newspapers. Television was not a factor and cable news networks were far in the future.Summer visitors relied on metropolitan papers such as The Baltimore Sun or News-American or The Washington Post or Star…. Read more »
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 »