July 12, 1896, 45,000 people gathered in Revere to celebrate the opening of the first public beach in the nation. In 1895 the newly-created Metropolitan Parks Commission had taken ownership of the longest natural beach in the Boston area. The MPC cleared it of a railway, shanties, and other eyesores and built a broad boulevard, an elegant public bathhouse, shade pavilions, and a bandstand. The new and improved beach was an immediate hit. On some hot summer days, it had more than 250,000 visitors, most of them drawn from Boston's working class and immigrant communities. Among the beach's attractions were some of the first amusement parks in the country. The Cyclone, built in 1927, was the fastest and largest roller coaster in the world.
From the very beginning, Revere Beach was considered "the people's beach," frequented primarily by working class and immigrant families from Boston and its densely populated inner suburbs. In 1909 beachgoers were described as "industrious, well-behaved, and a really desirable class of people, of many nationalities to be sure, but neighborly and polite . . . with one another."
You all can enjoy going into Mass Moments site online and subscribe to receive it's precious pieces of History for Massachusetts!
Hugs, Rose
I know you will all love viewing Mass Moments online.
ReplyDeleteSo much interesting history about Massachusetts and especially Revere!
Hugs, Rose