Atlantic City New Jersey History

Atlantic City was once a remote, sandy marshy island called Absegami by the Native American Lenni-Lenapes. The first recorded settler in the region, Englishman, Tomas Budd, received the island as settlement of a royal claim. Valued at .04 per acre, beachfront property wasn’t worth much back then. Today, the same beachfront is worth millions. Dr. Jonathan Pitney came to town in the early 1850s and immediately recognized the potential for a health resort where people from the big cities could “escape for a breath of fresh air.” In 1853 the resort got its official name – Atlantic City. A railroad route was constructed connecting Camden to the area and it wasn’t long before huge hotels replaced small beach cottages. A walkway of planks connected the hotels so guests did not have to walk in the sand. The walkway was the humble beginning of the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk - the hottest piece of property on the board in the popular Monopoly Game. Today, the Atlantic City Boardwalk is 40 feet wide, extends almost five miles along the beach and is the central artery for action in Atlantic City.

From the start Atlantic City drew a cast of characters and eccentric entertainment. There was a high diving horse that plunged from a platform into the ocean. For many years, Mr. Peanut greeted visitors at the Planters Peanut store. There were fortune tellers and flimflam artists. Entertainment piers stretching into the ocean were lined with amusement rides, animal attractions and artisans. The carnival atmosphere, called the Boardwalk Ballyhoo, is documented at the Atlantic City Historical Museum. In 1921, a beauty queen contest was held to extend the tourist season and the Miss America Pageant was born.

During the heyday of Vaudeville, Atlantic City was the “in” place to play for the rich and famous. And, when the first casino came to town in 1978, the rest is history. Today over 33 million visitors come to Atlantic City each year to try their luck at the gaming tables, enjoy top-name entertainment and escape the doldrums of the everyday world.