This reproduction panoramic view of Atlantic City, New Jersey was published by T. J. Shepherd Landis in 1880. Atlantic City, located on Absecon Island, was officially opened on Wednesday, June 16th, in the year of this map's publishing. Absecon resident Dr. Jonathan Pitney saw great potential in the region, but the marshlands that surrounded the island made visiting difficult. Pitney, along with civil engineer Richard Osborne planned the community and brought in the Camden-Atlantic City Railroad, which was completed in 1854. Osborne has been credited with naming the new town while Pitney labeled the streets. Streets that ran parallel with the ocean were named after the world's great bodies of water and east/west streets were named for states.
The 228 step Absecon Lighthouse was completed here in 1857. Designed by George Meade, the navigational aid contained a fixed Fresnel lens.
The first boardwalk in Atlantic City was built in 1870. Fancy hotels of impressive size, as well as smaller rooming houses, were built throughout town including the United States Hotel, which took up an entire block between Atlantic, Pacific, Maryland and Delaware Avenues. The hotel boasted a luxurious atmosphere with up-to-date amenities. The newly added Philadelphia-Atlantic City Railroad and the Reading Railroad along with the Camden-Atlantic City Railway helped transport almost 500,000 visitors per year to Atlantic City in the 1880s.
This bird's-eye view map from 1880 shows Atlantic City's lighthouse, boardwalk and beaches.
Features references to the following locations:
Ufler's Hotel, near C. & A & West Jersey R. R. Depots.
Mullarkey's Cottage, Illinois & Arctic Aves.
Ocean House, Pacific & Connecticut Aves.
Congress Cottage.
Congress Hall.
Senate House, H. B. Cook & Son, Props.
Hotel Albion, Atlantic & Massachusetts Aves.
Sea Side House, Sea End of Pennsylvania Ave.
Depot of Philadelphia & Atlantic City Railway.
Chadwick's Museum Building, Ohio & Atlantic Aves.
City Hall.
Mrs. Disston's Private Cottage.
P. E. Church of the Ascension.
Shelburne House, Sea End of Michigan Ave.
United States Hotel (Lawn).
The Colonnade, Pacific Ave. between North Carolina & South Carolina Aves.
Presbyterian Church.
Hotel Windsor, Pacific Ave. above North Carolina Ave.
Depot of Camden & Atlantic Railroad.
Malatesta Hotel, North Carolina & Atlantic Aves.
St. James P. E. Church.
The Dennis, Sea End of Michigan Ave.
Albrecht's Beer Pavilion, Atlantic Ave. between Illinois & Indiana Aves.