Ocean City Pier - New Jersey

Ocean City Pier - New Jersey, a photo by todd landry photography on Flickr.

In the early days Ocean City was known as Peck’s Beach, an eight-mile stretch of sand dunes, meadows and cedar swamps named for John Peck, a whaler who used the island as a staging spot for his whaling operation. The island had served as a summer fishing camp for local Native Americans, a grazing land for cattle driven out from the mainland and an occasional hunting or picnic spot for mainland residents who would come out by boat.

September 10, 1879, four ministers, Ezra B. Lake, James Lake, S. Wesley Lake and William Burrell chose the island as a suitable spot to establish a Christian retreat. Having chosen the name “Ocean City”, the founders incorporated the “Ocean City Association”, laid out street and lots for cottages, hotel and businesses. From these beginnings Ocean City has grown into the town as it exists today. The first bridge was built to the island in 1883, while the first railroad soon followed. The first school began in 1881. The boardwalk grew and was relocated several times. A large fire in 1927 changed the town significantly. Source: OCNJ.us