Casinos At Atlantic City

Admin | February 05, 2012 | Comments Off

Casinos At Atlantic City

Casinos At Atlantic City

Atlantic City and its tourist trade were both founded in 1854. Before the close of that first year, there were already five hotels built to accommodate visitors. Tourism in Atlantic City accelerated in 1870, soon after a railroad conductor named Alexander Boardman suggested the town build a "Board Walk" to keep sand out of the trains and hotels. The ensuing construction boom of newer and grander hotels on the Atlantic City shoreline continued for almost a century.

The Traymore opened in 1879 near the shoreline where Illinois Avenue meets the beach. The hotel was named after Tramore, a small town in southeast Ireland that is 40 miles south of Kilkenny. The original Traymore was a ten-room cottage with few amenities that served as temporary housing for visitors enjoying the Atlantic City beaches. On January 10, 1884, a strong Atlantic storm destroyed the cottage.

Hotel Traymore is Modernized and Enlarged

The owners immediately rebuilt the Traymore as a small hotel, but located it a block farther back from the Atlantic Ocean. Between the new hotel and the beach, a large lawn now served as a storm buffer and recreation area for hotel guests. For the first time, indoor plumbing and bathrooms were installed. Continuously enlarged over the next few years, in 1887 the Traymore featured a large porch with an ocean view, elevators, a billiard room, and a sun parlor. Almost every one of the 117 rooms was equipped with modern conveniences like open grate fireplaces, hot and cold fresh and seawater baths (seawater was considered to be therapeutic), and electric bells to summon hotel staff. Rates were $3.00 - $5.00 per day or $18.00 - $25.00 per week.