Atlantic City - The
Steel Pier - Showplace of the Nation
by Nan Wood
The Steel Pier closed its
doors on Labor Day Weekend for the final time. The smell of the ocean,
sea air, cotton candy, popcorn and hot dogs is gone forever. The Pier
extended into the Atlantic Ocean - almost 1,000 feet.
In the 1940s, the place to
go in Atlantic City was the Steel Pier. The Pier opened in 1898. In its
most popular period, entertainers flocked to the Pier to entertain
visitors especially on Labor Day Weekend. Charlie Chaplin, the Three
Stooges, Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra were a few of the fabulous
entertainers who thrilled the crowds. Everyone knew about the Diving
Horse. The horse and rider leaped approximately forty feet into the
ocean.
Well, times change and
progress is here. The Pier is being replaced for new development. Shops,
stores and condominiums will replace the rides on the boardwalk.
Children will miss the pier most. While adults gambled in the casinos,
the children, who were not allowed into the casino floor, were
entertained on the Steel Pier in an appropriate environment.
The music of the carousel,
made in Italy and hand painted with scenes from old Atlantic City, could
be heard mixed with the laughter and screams of the children while rock
music pulsed from the other end of the Pier.
I find it sad that progress
has eliminated another landmark which is irreplaceable. After one
hundred and eight years, the pier is now silent waiting for the wrecking
balls to decimate it. I have been privileged to know and love the Steel
Pier as a child and can share this memory with my grandchildren in the
future.
About the Author
Nan is an Accountant
and Business Writer with an information site
ModernTechnology and blog located at
Whooknew |
