Atlantic City Resorts

Atlantic City is known as a popular gambling hotspot. But the city has an enchanting history is which goes much deeper than the slot machine. Atlantic City was built-in in the year 1854, March. In that very year first passenger train was started down the new line from Philadelphia. The trip took 2.5 hours to cover a distance of 60 miles. At the end of the trip when the first vacationers stepped down from the train and saw the beautiful beach, the Atlantic City tourism started its journey.

After 1860, the Atlantic City became extremely popular as a vacation spot in America. Its primary attraction was the location. It was accessible from most major urban cities and towns, particularly Philadelphia. People came from all over the globe to spend the summer in the Atlantic City beaches. It was the time when Atlantic City was emerging as a health resort. Doctors had prescribed the “sea air” of this city as a therapy for pain, stress and even insanity.

But the beautiful beach was being destroyed by the various activities of the merchants and tourists.  Andrew Boardman, a railroad constructor, proposed a solution in the late 1860s. He suggested developing an elevated walkway which will allow the people to wash their feet before leaving the beach. On June 26, 1870, a wooden walkway was prepared separating the beach from the other part of the city. It was named Boardman’s Walk and was first of its kind in the whole world. The name was gradually abridged to “Boardwalk”. As it is an official street of the Atlantic City, Boardwalk is always spelled with a capital ‘B’.

The Boardwalk grew with the increasing demand for additional beachfront. As a result, the Rolling Chair was developed. A canopied chair made to be pushed from back; it made roaming around the length of the always expanding Boardwalk an easy task for the wealthy vacationers.

Boardwalk became a prime location for the city’s real estate. A large number of beachside attractions mushroomed up, starting from amusement piers to performing theaters. Small vendors of Salt Water Taffy (another unique thing from Atlantic City) to various entertainment shows were available on the Boardwalk. Steeplechase Pier, the Million Dollar Pier, Steel Pier, Heinz Pier and various others made their magnificent debuts in the first few decades of the increased development of the Boardwalk.

Between the periods of 1890 to 1940, the history of Atlantic City was adorned with a mixed chain of events. A lot was happening. Presidents came to give speeches, magicians were dazzling audiences, and amusements Piers were closing down and started again. Various other incidents made this time a wonderful period in the history of the city. Atlantic City become the center of attraction and started to have a dazzling existence.

The first picture postcards of U.S. contained views of Atlantic City in 1872. Salt Water Taffy was discovered and named in the city around 1880. The first air-conditioned theater started in 1896, summer in the Atlantic City. Even though Chicago is famous for the first “Ferris Wheel”, in 1891 Williams Somers built an “observational roundabout” on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. George Washington Gale Ferris observed and this very ride for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and his name, not Somers’, is attached to the ride today.

Even in the 20th century, AC continued its record. In 1915, the first non-subsidized public transport system, The Atlantic City Jitney, was developed. The first passenger air service came to Atlantic City in 1919. In this very year the term “airport” was coined. Even the Miss America pageant started in the Atlantic City in 1921, and was held here for decades. In 1929, Atlantic City has its first Convention Hall. Slang terms like “Eagle” and “Birdie” which are common among golfers, were used in this city for the 1^st time.

By 1944, the Boardwalk reached an astounding seven miles down the Absecon Island coast- ending in Longport, three cities south. Unfortunately, a huge hurricane destroyed many attraction of the Boardwalk including many amusement piers in the fall of that year. The Boardwalk was later rebuilt to a shorter distance covering about 5.75 miles.

This hurricane of 1944 served a huge blow to the tourism of this city. At the same time, exotic destinations like Bahamas and Florida were being popularized by the Commercial airline travel, in the 1930s and 1940s. One started to go to local places for vacation less and less and Atlantic City tourism started its sharp decline. By the 1960s, Atlantic City was almost dead. With minimal tourist income, high rate of unemployment, and low population Atlantic City demanded something to do for it.

In 1970, a bill in the New Jersey Assembly suggested the legalization of gambling in the whole state to boost the economy of Atlantic City. The opposition protested the legalization of gambling and the bill was cancelled and the idea was dropped.  At that time, Nevada was the only state in US with legalized gambling. It took three more attempts before it was successful in 1976. The bill was modified allowing for gambling only at the Atlantic City, and not in the whole state suggested buy the previous bills. After another 18 months, in May 1978, Resorts International opened in Atlantic City as the first casino opened its doors. Seeing its popularity, many other casinos opened up in Atlantic City in the following years and tourism started to increase. Other hotels also developed and people again started to come to the city. The Boardwalk was also developed again as the center of family activities.
photo credit: LukeGordon1
photo credit: StangGT

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