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81-441: The Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) is a full-time-service law enforcement agency providing police services to a population of 7,031 people within 36.4 square miles (94 km) of the municipality of Ocean City, MD . The OCPD began its tenure in the summer of 1898 with the appointment of a single officer, Cyrus Purnell. In 1900, the mayor and town council approved the expansion of the department to include two more officers and

162-606: A humid subtropical climate with long, warm to hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-round precipitation. Ocean City receives 2300 hours of sunshine annually (higher than the USA average). Temperatures are moderated in Ocean City due to its location on the Atlantic coast. During the summer months, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days with an average of only 10 days annually reaching 90 °F (32 °C). However, in 2010

243-585: A Delaware railroad, the Junction and Breakwater railroad (Incorporated in 1856) with a vision of connecting the three states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia was expanding southward. In 1874, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore (PWB) railroad obtained a majority stockholder position and that same year completed the expansion south to the Maryland state-line. In 1874, the Junction and Breakwater railroad obtained

324-648: A branch line from Salisbury to Delmar, Delaware and on the old Queen Anne's line between Queenstown and Love Point , a town on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. In 1932 cross peninsula travel was stopped when the Nanticoke trestle at Vienna was closed and then service to Ocean City ended the next year when the Sinepuxent Bay bridge was damaged in a storm. By 1938 passenger they had terminated passenger service. The railroad abandoned sections of line throughout

405-608: A charter from the State of Maryland to consolidate a number of railroad companies in the State including the Worcester railroad. This meant purchasing the assets of the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad's extension to Snow Hill built under the Worcester railroad which it did in 1874. The newly consolidated railroad, inclusive of the W&;P's Snow hill extension would operate in the State of Maryland as

486-541: A corporation was formed to help with the development of the land. The corporation stock of 4,000 shares sold for $ 25 each. Before 1870, what is now Ocean City was known as "The Ladies' Resort to the Ocean". The Atlantic Hotel, the first major hotel in the town, opened July 4, 1875. The Atlantic Hotel originally was owned by the Atlantic Hotel Company, but eventually Charles W. Purnell bought it in 1923. As of 2014 , it

567-718: A fairly rapid expansion that took place during the post-World War II boom. In 1952, with the completion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge , Ocean City became easily accessible to people in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area . In 1964, with the completion of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel , a whole new pathway to the south was opened. This tunnel connects Northampton County on the Delmarva Peninsula to Southeast Virginia. Ocean City has become one of

648-509: A male householder with no wife present, and 53.7% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.41. The median age in the town was 54.2 years. 9.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 33.8% were from 45 to 64; and 29.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

729-423: A mayor and seven-member city council. The mayor is elected at-large to two-year terms while the city council is elected at-large to staggered four-year terms. The city council elects a council president who presides over and sets the agenda for city council meetings. The mayor represents the town to state and local agencies. Both the mayor and city council hire a city manager who is in charge of all daily operations of

810-529: A multi-million dollar beach restoration program in an attempt to slow the westward migration of its beaches. The program pumped tons of sand from offshore and deposited it onto the beach. A dune line was also re-established in front of Ocean City's building line. Another similar project began after the 2006 tourist season closed. In 2006, the city erected the Ocean City Firefighter's Memorial to honor local firefighters as well as firefighters who died in

891-670: A public transportation system called Ocean City Transportation . This agency operates the Coastal Highway Beach Bus, the West Ocean City Park-N-Ride Beach Bus, the Express Beach Bus for special events, and a trackless train shuttle called the Boardwalk Tram. Ocean City Transportation also offers paratransit service. The Boardwalk Tram operates during the summer months along the entire length of

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972-433: A railroad in interstate commerce "to subject any particular person . . . to any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage in any respect whatsoever." Henderson's court victory in integrating interstate travel contributed to Maryland repeal of its railroad segregation laws in 1951. So as Bogen writes, "generations of protesters and lawyers who resisted segregation ... in Maryland played their role in making it possible for

1053-507: A subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities , provides natural gas to the town. The Town of Ocean City Municipal Water Department provides water to the town, operating 25 wells, 3 treatment plants, 6 above-ground storage tanks, and an underground storage tank. The Public Works department provides wastewater service to Ocean City, operating the Ocean City Wastewater Treatment Plant. Trash and recycling collection in Ocean City

1134-477: A train ferry for Chesapeake service. The railroad started construction in 1889, completed on December 1, 1890, as well as purchasing the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad The B&ES also operated a ferry from Claiborne to Annapolis, Maryland where connection was made to Baltimore by rail. The venture was not successful as on August 29, 1894, the B&;ES railroad was liquidated in a judicial sale and reorganized as

1215-638: A woman in Montgomery, Alabama ...( Rosa Parks )... to change the world." Along the right of way track, bridges and other remnants remain. A section in Salisbury, MD, from the old New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad line to the ConAgra Facility in Salisbury is still in use; and at least one piece has been turned into a rail trail. The train shed that used to serve as the end of the line in Claiborne, MD

1296-1189: Is handled by the Public Works department, with the town's trash transported by Reworld to the Energy Resource Recovery Facility in Fairfax, Virginia , a waste-to-energy plant. Police services in Ocean City are provided by the Ocean City Police Department , which consists of 105 full-time officers and from 100 to 110 seasonal officers. Fire protection in Ocean City is provided by the Ocean City Fire Department, which consists of over 200 volunteer members and over 100 career members. Ocean City has three sister cities: Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway#Wicomico ⁘ Pocomoke Railroad Company (1848–1890) It operated 87 miles (140.0 km) of center-line track and 15.6 miles (25.11 km) of sidings. The railroad started construction in 1889 and cost $ 2.356 million ($ 2024 =79,895,000). Originally chartered in 1876 as

1377-727: Is home to one of the United States' oldest operational carousel rides. Colloquially known as "The Pride of the Boardwalk," the 1912 Herschell-Spillman carousel received the National Carousel Association's Historic Carousel Award in 1996. The Midtown section of Ocean City stretches from 28th Street to 90th Street and is home to dining along the bay and nightlife. Located in Midtown are the Jolly Roger Amusement Park and

1458-541: Is now Maryland in the 17th century, the shoreline of the Delmarva Peninsula had been populated for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples including the Algonquian-speaking Assateague and Nanticoke peoples. The land on which the city was built and much of the surrounding area was obtained by Thomas Fenwick, an Englishman, from the Indigenous peoples of the region. In 1869, businessman Isaac Coffin built

1539-534: Is owned by MODT, as is the section between Hebron and Salisbury. Between Hurlock and Vienna the right-of-way is owned by Delmarva Power and Lighting. And the eastern section from Salisbury to Ocean city is owned by Norfolk Southern. In 1910, the state of Maryland established the Maryland Public Service Commission and granted it power over common carriers. Similar in nature to the federal Interstate Commerce Commission , "...the primary concern of

1620-522: Is still owned and operated by the Purnell family. Besides the beach and ocean, it offered dancing and billiard rooms to the visitors of its more than 400 rooms, and for years it was the northernmost attraction in Ocean City. By 1878, tourists could come by the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad from Berlin to the shores of Sinepuxent Bay across from the town. By 1881, a line was completed across Sinepuxent Bay to

1701-555: Is the longest-running municipal skatepark in the United States today. Due to time, wear and the current needs of skaters, the original bowl and steel halfpipe ramp were torn down in the Fall of 1997 and the newly constructed skatepark opened in July 1998 on the same site. The park has attracted the National Dew Tour for several years. Ocean City has a council-manager system of government with

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1782-512: The Chesapeake Bay , across the Eastern Shore, through Easton, to Salisbury, Maryland, where a connection was made with the Wicomico & Pocomoke road at Salisbury. The length of the road, as proposed, from the bay shore to Salisbury was to be 52 miles, and it was intended to make a line running diagonally across the Eastern Shore to Ocean City, 82 miles in length. From the proposed terminus on

1863-588: The Dave Mathews Band , Cyndi Lauper , The Lumineers , and Alanis Morissette . However, Tropical Storm Ian forced the event to be rescheduled for fall 2023. Ocean City continues to sprawl westward across the bay, toward Berlin and Ocean Pines . It was part of the Ocean Pines micropolitan statistical area until that was subsumed by the Salisbury metropolitan area . According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,

1944-584: The Eastern Shore Railroad by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad . The railroad was organized by Easton, Maryland , businessmen including Theophilus Tunis and Gen. Joseph B. Seth (1845–1927) who at the time was 69th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates and later President of the State Senate (1906–1908), and others. The railroad line as located extended from a terminus on

2025-511: The Eastern Shore railroad and then on to Walston's switch, Parsonsburg , Pittsville , Hancock, Whaleyville , St. Martins and finally Berlin . The original 20 mile line was extended in 1871, south 14 miles from Berlin to Snow Hill, Maryland , on the Pocomoke river and opened in 1872. This was done under the 1853 charter, revised in 1867, of the Worcester railroad. During this same period,

2106-540: The Pennsylvania Railroad became the majority stockholder but the BC&;A still operated under its organization. As of 1915, the railroad consisted of a single-track, standard-gage railroad, with distance of about 87 miles, with a branch line about 0.5 mile long extending from Salisbury to Fulton, Md., making a total of 87.252 miles. It also owned 15.582 miles of yard and side tracks. The new, combined operations of

2187-572: The Roland E. Powell Convention Center . This area also features the Seacrets entertainment complex on 49th Street, one of the highest-grossing bars in the country, known for bringing in hundreds of coconut palms and other tropical plants in the summer. Historical sites include: Ocean City is known for its Senior Week activities when recently graduated high school seniors from Maryland and surrounding states travel to Ocean City. Senior Week historically begins

2268-557: The September 11 attacks . In addition to a statue of a firefighter, the monument incorporates a piece of steel beam from one of the towers destroyed at the World Trade Center . In 2011 the resort area accommodated approximately 8 million visitors per year. In 2022, the Town of Ocean City announced the inaugural Oceans Calling Festival, a four-day music event drawing major artists such as

2349-486: The "Atlantic Avenue", the first Ocean City boardwalk was constructed in 1902. After being damaged by a storm in 1962, the boardwalk was rebuilt to stretch a total of 2.25 miles, which is its current length. In 1985, the boardwalk suffered extensive storm damage during Hurricane Gloria , which pummeled Ocean City with 89 MPH winds; however, the boardwalk was refurbished and a concrete sea wall was soon constructed to prevent further damage. The aftermath of Hurricane Gloria led to

2430-589: The 1910-1920s. Though Hawkins' various complaints were dismissed, the Public Service Commission did recommend changes such as ordering the BC&A to provide seating (with partitions) in nonsmoking as well as smoking cars to assure greater equality in the future. It would be another four decades until another Marylander, Elmer Henderson, was successful in arguing to the United States Supreme Court in 1950 that "...segregative dining practices on

2511-602: The 1950's-1980's. Parts of the railroad survived as part of Penn Central up through the Penn Central bankruptcy and ConRail merger but it was omitted from the system plan for Conrail . In 1982, the State of Maryland purchased segments of the Baltimore Chesapeake and Atlantic railways from the bankrupt Penn Central and transferred for use by the Maryland Department of Transportation . For some time afterward,

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2592-524: The Atlantic Ocean fishing grounds. In the late 1930s, the Army Corps of Engineers dredged a new channel on the bayside of Ocean City to allow larger boats to have access to Sinepuxent Bay. The dredge was pumped back onto the western shore of Ocean City allowing the creation of Chicago Avenue and St. Louis Avenue, leading to new development where previously only marshland had been. Ocean City has undergone

2673-482: The B&E lines. The railroad also played a key role in the fight against racial segregation and the path to civil rights. Maryland civil rights advocates such as attorney William Ashbie Hawkins represented several plaintiffs before the Maryland Public Service Commission, protesting the segregated conditions maintained by the railroad in both the boats and trains under Maryland's Jim Crow laws in

2754-481: The BC&A in railroad and waterlines had been profitable with $ 0.5 million in profit on a total investment of $ 4.325 million with a total revenue of $ 17.8 million for the period of 1894 – 1915 and controlled by the Pennsylvania railroad as majority stockholder. Dividends were paid on $ 1.5 million par value of 5 per cent cumulative preferred stock but none were paid on the common stock of $ 1.0 million and none paid on

2835-522: The BC&A to provide seating (with partitions) in nonsmoking as well as smoking cars to assure greater equality in the future. It would be another four decades until another Marylander, Elmer Henderson , was successful in arguing to the United States Supreme Court in 1950 that "...segregative dining practices on the railroads could not be equal". The court held that these rules violated the Interstate Commerce Act , which makes it unlawful for

2916-485: The Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Company and then reauthorized in 1886, incorporated March 2, 1886. The railroad started construction in 1889, completed on December 1, 1890. Also in 1890, the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Company purchased the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad (incorporated on February 15, 1848), consisting of approximately 30 miles of track from Salisbury to Ocean City, Maryland. The latter

2997-468: The Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway Company. The reorganized company, the Baltimore Chesapeake and Atlantic railroad (BC&A), was incorporated on August 30, 1894, with its principal office in Salisbury, Maryland . That same year, the railroad also acquired several steamboat companies; namely the Maryland, Choptank and Eastern Shore Steamboat Companies, all of Baltimore, Md. for $ 1.7 million in waterline property, wharves and equipment. In 1902,

3078-611: The Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy for 24 weeks with a total of over 800 hours of instruction. Full time officers employed with the Ocean City Police Department carry the SIG Sauer P226 chambered in .40 S&W. Seasonal Officers carry a S&W Model 65 in .357 magnum. The current chief of police is Ross Buzzuro. Apart from traditional duties of 9-1-1 response and traffic enforcement,

3159-512: The Maryland Public Service Commission was rate regulation, but it also had power to hear complaints about service." Shortly after its establishment, William Ashbie Hawkins represented several plaintiffs before the Public Service Commission protesting against the segregated conditions both in boats and trains under the Jim Crow law. Though Hawkins' various complaints were dismissed, the Public Service Commission did recommend changes such as ordering

3240-695: The OCPD has other specialized units: 38°23′19″N 75°4′7″W  /  38.38861°N 75.06861°W  / 38.38861; -75.06861 Ocean City, MD Ocean City , [oʊʃɪn sɪtiː] officially the Town of Ocean City , is an Atlantic resort town in Worcester County , Maryland , along the East Coast of the United States . The population was 6,844 at the 2020 U.S. census , although during summer weekends

3321-609: The Ocean City Boardwalk. Ocean City's transit service connects with Shore Transit , which connects with other destinations. From May to September, the DART First State Beach Bus connects with the Coastal Highway Beach Bus. Ocean City Municipal Airport , located 3 miles (4.8 km) west of downtown Ocean City serves general aviation and charter aircraft. Delmarva Power , a subsidiary of Exelon , provides electricity to Ocean City. Sandpiper Energy ,

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3402-468: The Ocean City Bridge Company, built a toll bridge across Sinepuxent Bay , from Hommock Point to Ocean City, in Worcester county. This remained the only bridge into the city until a new State built auto bridge was completed in 1919. The Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad inclusive of its interests in the bridge into Ocean City, operated by its subsidiary, Ocean City Bridge Company, was sold to

3483-716: The White Marlin Open, one of the larger fishing tournaments in the world, is held. Prize money for the largest white marlin , blue marlin , and tuna can range over $ 1 million. The Ocean City Boardwalk currently runs from South 2nd Street at the Ocean City Inlet in South Ocean City (by the Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum ) up to 27th Street in South Ocean City. The boardwalk is home to food, shops, arcades, and amusements. Originally called

3564-472: The Worcester railroad and would be completed to Franklin city, Virginia , in 1876. The Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad then used the funds from the 1874 sale of the Snow Hill extension to build another six mile extension in the same year, 1874, towards Hammock Point, just opposite of Ocean City. Passengers were then ferried over to the beaches. Two years later in 1876, the Wicomico & Pocomoke, operating as

3645-534: The annual Sunfest destroyed five boardwalk businesses in 1994. There was a small water park and giant walk-through haunted house with live actors near the end of the pier and a New Orleans-style Hollywood in Wax Museum on the boardwalk side. In the mid 1990s, the wax museum closed and was turned into a Photon laser tag arena . The building now houses the Ripley's Believe it or Not! museum. In 2002, Ocean City undertook

3726-491: The appointment of Purnell to the position of chief of police. Because of its summertime population swell, the OCPD historically has hired summertime police to supplement its full-time force. In 1965, with the professionalization of the department, the town's officers were attending an officially sanctioned "police academy." This "academy" had officers attending formal classes twice weekly for three weeks which totaled 18 hours of instruction. In contrast, today's police recruits attend

3807-558: The bay shore the distance across Chesapeake Bay to Bay Ridge is 12 miles, which was to be covered by a ferry, and at Bay Ridge, a connection was to be made with the then new Bay Ridge Annapolis road, over which trains were to run to both the Annapolis & Baltimore Short Line and the Annapolis & Elk Ridge road . At the same time, the State authorized the railroad the right to "the right to own land and develop resorts, to own steamboats and wharves, and to merge or lease railroads outside of

3888-566: The city hosts between 320,000 and 345,000 vacationers and up to eight million visitors annually. During the summer, Ocean City becomes the second most populated municipality in Maryland, after Baltimore . It is part of the Salisbury metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau . In the summer, businesses and government agencies are augmented with approximately 100 seasonal police officers, plus extra firefighters and other workers. Numerous events take place within

3969-479: The common stock of $ 1.0 million and none paid on the preferred stock after 1912. By 1921, the railroad had turned unprofitable due in part to private autos and trucks to the point where in March 1922, it stopped making payments on its first mortgage. In 1921, PRR provided financial assistance in order for BC&A to make payments due under its first mortgage. This continued intermittently until 1926 when PRR announced it

4050-516: The first beach-front cottage to receive paying guests. During those days, people arrived by stagecoach and ferry. Soon after, other simple boarding houses were built on the strip of sand, with the activity attracting prominent businessmen from the Maryland Eastern Shore , Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Wilmington, Delaware. They came not so much to visit as to survey the spit . A decision was made to develop it and 250 lots were cut into it, and

4131-436: The first phase of extensive beach replenishment projects in Ocean City. In 2012, the Ocean City Boardwalk was damaged again as a result of Hurricane Sandy , which flooded and destroyed half the boardwalk. The boardwalk has since been rebuilt to its original length and attracts many tourists. Also located in South Ocean City is Trimper's Rides , a historic amusement park founded in 1893 as The Windsor Resort. Trimper's Rides

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4212-514: The first week after graduation, and the graduates often are referred to as "June Bugs". The city is home to the Brine Beach Lax Festival (Lacrosse) on the second week of June. The Ocean City Film Festival takes place every year in early March. First opened in June 1976, Ocean Bowl Skatepark in South Ocean City was the first skate park to open on the East Coast in the United States, and it

4293-424: The investors intended a connection with the steamboats on the Wicomico river in Salisbury, Maryland . When the road started construction in 1867, Dr. H. R. Pitts was president of the company and completed in May, 1868. One of the original investors was Col. Lemuel Showell (d. 1902), of Berlin, who later became president. The railroad started in Salisbury on the Wicomico river and then headed east crossing over

4374-427: The largest vacation areas on the East Coast. By the 1970s, big business flourished and gave birth to the construction of more than 15,000 condominium units, creating high-rise condominiums that gave investors a glimpse of the ocean and pounding surf. However, throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, the width of the beach began to shrink, prompting the first of a series of beach replenishment projects. A fire during

4455-413: The newly organized Baltimore & Eastern Shore railroad in 1888. Originally chartered in 1876 as the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Company and then reauthorized in 1886, incorporated March 2, 1886. The objective of the railroad was to preserve the business connection of Baltimore with the Eastern Shore country. That business has been largely diverted to Philadelphia through the control of

4536-407: The original Baltimore and Eastern Shore, Baltimore Chesapeake and Atlantic railways and other former PRR properties in Maryland from the Penn Central corporation. The railroad was incorporated on February 15, 1848 and reauthorized in 1864 was to connect Salisbury and Berlin, Maryland; 23 miles apart. At the time the railroad was chartered, there were no other railroads to connect with but instead

4617-511: The original Coast Guard tower on Caroline Street. The Ocean City Inlet was formed during a significant hurricane in 1933, which also destroyed the train tracks across the Sinepuxent Bay. The inlet separated what is now Ocean City from Assateague Island . The Army Corps of Engineers took advantage of nature's intervention and made permanent the inlet at the south end of Ocean City. The inlet eventually helped establish Ocean City as an important Mid-Atlantic fishing port, as it offered easy access to

4698-431: The popular restaurant, nightclub, distillery, and entertainment venue Seacrets. The call letters stand for "We are Ocean City Maryland". Music Ocean City is mentioned in the Car Seat Headrest song “Beach Life-In-Death”. Ocean City has a single major north−south thoroughfare, Maryland Route 528 , known as the Coastal Highway for most of its length. Two bridges connect the mainland to Ocean City: Ocean City also has

4779-421: The preferred stock after 1912. By 1921, the railroad had turned unprofitable due in part to private autos and trucks to the point where in March, 1922, it stopped making payments on its first mortgage. In 1921, the Pennsylvania railroad had to provide financial assistance in order for BC&A to make payments due under its first mortgage. This continued intermittently until 1926 when the Pennsylvania announced it

4860-512: The railroad consisted of a single-track, 87-mile line, with a branch line about 0.5 mile long extending from Salisbury to Fulton. The new, combined operations of BC&A in railroad and waterlines had been profitable with $ 0.5 million in profit on a total investment of $ 4.325 million with a total revenue of $ 17.8 million for the period of 1894 – 1915 and controlled by PRR as majority stockholder. Dividends were paid on $ 1.5 million per value of 5 per cent cumulative preferred stock but none were paid on

4941-439: The railroads could not be equal". Henderson's court victory in integrating interstate travel contributed to Maryland's repeal of its railroad segregation laws in 1951. So as Bogen writes, "generations of protesters and lawyers who resisted segregation ... in Maryland played their role in making it possible for a woman in Montgomery, Alabama ...(Rosa Parks)... to change the world." In 1982, the State of Maryland purchased segments of

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5022-432: The rivers and bays surrounding Ocean City until the overflowing water cut a 50-foot crevasse from the bay to the ocean. Ocean City businessmen had long sought funding to create an inlet to support a harbor, so residents seized upon the opportunity and built jetties to ensure the city's land remained divided from what is now Assateague Island . According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ocean City, Maryland has

5103-508: The section from Hurlock and Preston was operated by the Maryland and Delaware Railroad but it stopped service by 2008. From 1977 to 1988 a tourist railroad ran from Berlin to Ocean City. It used a small diesel engine and cars that are now part of the Wilmington and Western tourist railroad in upper Delaware. The sections of rail west of Preston and between Vienna and Hebron have been abandoned and not railbanked. The remaining right of way has several owners. Between Preston and Hurlock, it

5184-530: The shore, bringing rail passengers on the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railroad directly into the town to a train station on Philadelphia Avenue and returning to larger city markets with locally caught fish from Ocean City. In 1930, Ocean City Beach Patrol was formed in order to better protect the bathers that frequented the shoreline. It was done in collaboration with Mayor William W. McCabe and Coast Guard Captain William Purnell. The first guard, Edward Lee Carey, watched over bathers who swam out of sight from

5265-422: The state." The State authorized several municipalities to guarantee the bonds of up to $ 500,000 for the project. The B&ES started route location between Claiborne and Salisbury and completed location of the route in July 1886. The Railroad's Chief Engineer, William H. Eichelberger estimates the construction cost for the road to be $ 727,000 ($ 2024 =24,653,000) for the Claiborne-Salisbury segment, including

5346-532: The temperature rose to 103 °F (39 °C) which was the hottest air temperature on record, and episodes of extreme heat combined with tropical humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (37.8 °C). The prominence of the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the south means direct hits from tropical storms and hurricanes are rare, although they sometimes brush the area. The Atlantic hurricane season extends from June 1 through November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. During

5427-409: The town and serves as its chief financial officer. As of 2017, the mayor of Ocean City is Rick Meehan, and the members of city council are council president Matt James, council secretary Tony Deluca, Frank Knight, Carol Proctor, William Savage, John Gehrig Jr., and Peter Baus Ocean City has an emergency advisory radio system broadcast on two FM frequencies. WOCM broadcasts from studios located at

5508-407: The town during the shoulder-season, including Sunfest, Springfest, Bike Week, Cruisin' Weekend, Winterfest of Lights, and Reach the Beach, which take place on the Boardwalk and in the Roland E. Powell Convention Center . Ocean City is also home to the annual Maryland State Firefighters Convention, a week-long event in June that honors the state's firefighters. Before the European colonization of what

5589-438: The town has a total area of 36.37 square miles (94.20 km ), of which 4.41 square miles (11.42 km ) is land and 31.96 square miles (82.78 km ) is water. Ocean City is on the barrier spit called Fenwick Island , which encompasses Ocean City, as well as South Bethany and Fenwick Island, Delaware . Ocean City's southern point is an inlet formed by the 1933 Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane . Rainfall and tides swelled

5670-476: The town was 51.4% male and 48.6% female. Ocean City now extends just more than 9 mi (14 km) from the southern inlet to the Delaware line. The strip now supports hotels, motels, apartment houses, shopping centers, residential communities, and condominiums. The southern tip houses the Ocean City Boardwalk. The boardwalk is the main shopping district and entertainment area of the town. The Boardwalk has two amusement parks , Trimpers Rides and The Pier, which

5751-417: The town was 92.2% White , 2.7% African American , 0.2% Native American , 1.3% Asian , 2.2% from other races , and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.9% of the population. There were 3,852 households, of which 11.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had

5832-503: The winter months, Ocean City has cool weather with an average high of 45 F (7.5 C), however periods of mild temperatures in the 50 to 60 F range are common. The air temperature fails to rise above freezing 5.8 days on average and the plant hardiness zone is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 9.1 °F (−12.7 °C). On rare occasion, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values under 5 °F (−15 °C). The coldest temperature on record

5913-458: Was 90.0% White , 5.8% Hispanic , 0.8% African American , 0.2% American Indian and Alaskan Native , 0.8% Asian , and 2.2% two or more races. As of the census of 2010, there were 7,102 people, 3,852 households, and 1,784 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,610.4 inhabitants per square mile (621.8/km ). There were 30,119 housing units at an average density of 6,829.7 per square mile (2,637.0/km ). The racial makeup of

5994-417: Was chartered to operate from Salisbury to Ocean City, Maryland, of which the section from Salisbury to Berlin was opened for operation on May 1, 1868, and the section from Berlin to Ocean City, in 1876. For the first year of operation, B&ES also operated a rail-transfer ferry from Bay Ridge (near Annapolis, Maryland) where the connection was made to Baltimore by rail. B&ES struggled financially and it

6075-561: Was dismantled, moved to St. Michaels. MD and repurposed as part of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. A bridge over Broad Creek west of St. Michaels remains. A section of the trail in St. Michaels has been turned into the St. Michael's Nature Trail. A piece of the old bridge over Oak Creek at at Newcomb, MD remains and has been decked over for use as a community pier. Much of the track between Preston and Hurlock remains, but

6156-517: Was incorporated on August 30, 1894, with its principal office in Salisbury, Maryland . That same year, the railroad also acquired several steamboat companies; namely the Maryland, Choptank and Eastern Shore Steamboat Companies, all of Baltimore, for $ 1.7 million in waterline property, wharves and equipment. In 1902, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) became the majority stockholder but BC&A still operated under its organization. As of 1915,

6237-448: Was put in the hands of a receiver after only nine months of operation. The receiver terminated the rail-transfer service to Bay Ridge and, instead, started direct passenger service between Baltimore and Claiborne. The venture was not successful as on August 29, 1894, the B&ES railroad was liquidated in a judicial sale and the assets were sold to the re-organizers. The new owner, the Baltimore Chesapeake and Atlantic railroad (BC&A)

6318-567: Was recently renamed Jolly Roger at The Pier , after its sister uptown local amusement park . The downtown neighborhood, Old Town, is marked by Victorian style houses and other older buildings. Ocean City has a long history of fishing, both commercial and recreational. The town bills itself as the "White Marlin Capital of the World." During the summer, numerous charter and private boats fish for billfish , tuna , wahoo , and other game fish. In early August,

6399-464: Was unwilling to continue this assistance. The following year, the trustee for the first mortgage, Chatham National Bank & Trust Co. of NY filed for foreclosure. The railroad was sold on March 29, 1928, to Charles Carter, representing PRR interests and reorganized as the Baltimore and Eastern Railroad (B&E) entirely owned by PRR. B&E survived up through the Penn Central bankruptcy and subsequent Conrail merger but Conrail planned to abandon

6480-628: Was unwilling to continue this assistance. The following year, the trustee for the first mortgage, Chatham National Bank & Trust Co. of NY filed for foreclosure. The railroad was sold on March 29, 1928, to Charles Carter, representing Pennsylvania railroad interests and reorganized as the Baltimore and Eastern railroad, entirely owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Into the 1930s the Baltimore and Eastern Railroad operated passenger service from Ocean City, to Easton stopping in Berlin, Hurlock and at Salisbury's Union Station among others. It also ran trains along

6561-568: Was −6 °F (−21 °C). The average seasonal (Dec-Mar) snowfall total is small, with 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity. As of the 2020 census, 6,844 (estimated at 6.900 as of 2022) people resided full time in the Town of Ocean City, with 3,723 households. The population density was 1,510.5 inhabitants per square mile. There were 30,028 total housing units, with 3,820 occupied year-round and 26,208 vacant. The resident racial makeup of Ocean City

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