The days before Greate Bay
Greate Bay was built as Ocean City Golf Club in 1923 by the Lake family, Ocean City’s founders. The Lakes envisioned a classic course on a picturesque parcel of land hugging the shore of Great Egg Harbor Bay. To make their vision a reality, they commissioned one of...
Historic marker honors victims of 1880 rail disaster in Mays Landing
On Aug. 11, 1880, tragedy struck Mays Landing when two trains collided on the West Jersey Rail Line, killing 30 people and injuring many more. The story of that fateful day might have been lost to time if not for local resident and historian Mari Dattolo. On Aug. 11,...
Brigantine Castle: When Brigantine was haunted
“One of the things I remember so vividly about Brigantine Castle was the costumed ghouls that were hired to haunt the place and scare the visitors. One afternoon, I found several of them near the back of the castle, in full costume, having a cigarette on a break while...
AC’s questionable shipwreck
Atlantic City businessmen bought an old whaling ship and purposely took it on the beach at Michigan Avenue. The “stranded” boat was on exhibition for a 10-cent admission. Atlantic City authorities forced it to move after a week. It was refloated and moved...
Early tourist attractions in Atlantic City
In the 1890s, Atlantic City offered a flume ride much like the extreme thrill rides of today. “Shooting The Chutes” was a major attraction on the boardwalk. Riders were pulled up a long incline in an open car, then were transferred to a flat-bottomed boat....
