Although Atlantic City is very well known as one of the ultimate gambling casinos sites, it has a long history before 1976, when the Casino Gambling Referendum was passed.
The Lenni-Lenape Indians, the original inhabitants of Abescon Island which Atlantic City rests upon, would travel over the Old Indian way from the mainland to the island in order to take advantage of the ocean and bay. This trail was over five miles long and the journey was made every year.
The first recorded owner of Abescon Island was Thomas Budd, who arrived in Atlantic County from England sometime during the 1670′s. He was given the island as settlement of a claim, along with another acreage which was valued at $0.40 an acre. Strange to think that same piece of land would be worth millions in today’s market!
Over the next hundred years, the Lenni-Lenapes were not the only visitors to the island. Hunters and early mainland settlers also called this place home and a man called Jeremiah Leeds was one of the first white men to build a permanent structure. He and his family became the first official residents of Atlantic City. When Leeds died, his wife Millicent requested a license to run Aunt Millie’s Boarding House and the first lucrative business venture was born.
By 1850, there were seven permanent structures on the island, six of which were owned by children and grandchildren of Leeds. Tourism became a big factor in 1854 due the physician of the island and a civil engineer from Philadelphia brought the railroad to the prospering town. This was not the only way to travel though. Atlantic City was fast becoming a busy seaport but, unfortunately, a vast number of tragedies occurred.
When the Powhattan, a ship carrying German immigrants sank, bodies washed ashore for days. Sadly, they could not all be identified and fifty four are buried in a mass grave in the Smithville Methodist Church and another forty five in Absecon. This urged the townsfolk to build a lighthouse and the structure still stands today, albeit half a mile up the beach.