When Was Atlantic City Built

The Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector, also known as the Atlantic City Expressway Connector, is a 2.3-mile-long (3.7 km) freeway connector in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States.It is an extension of the Atlantic City Expressway, connecting it to Route 87, which leads into Brigantine via the Marina district of Atlantic City. The highway contains a tunnel along its route, passing. The Playboy Hotel, Atlantic City was developed and built in 1981 by Hugh Heffner’s Playboy Enterprises and Elsinore Corporation. Playboy already operated a casino in London and was looking to exploit the new Atlantic City gaming market.

Louis Kuehnle, (/ˈkuːnliː/; December 25, 1857 – August 6, 1934), known as 'Commodore Kuehnle', was an American business entrepreneur and politician of German descent. He is considered a pioneer in the growing resort town of Atlantic City, New Jersey in the late 1880s and early 1900s. He was leader of the Republican organization that controlled Atlantic City during the early 1900s. Future president New Jersey GovernorWoodrow Wilson pursued Kuehnle after his 1910 election as part of his campaign to clean up Atlantic City. The effort led to the unsuccessful prosecution of Kuehnle for election fraud and the successful prosecution and conviction of him for a conflict of interest in connection with a government contract. His name then tarnished by scandal, he was succeeded by Enoch 'Nucky' Johnson as leader of the organization.^[1]

Early life[edit]

Kuehnle was born in New York City, New York on December 25, 1857 the son of German immigrants Louis and Katrina Kuehnle,^[1] where Louis Sr. was a successful chef.^[2] In 1858, Louis Kuehnle Sr., moved his family to Egg Harbor City, New Jersey where he began his first hotel, The New York Hotel. The family then moved again, in 1875, to nearby Atlantic City to open another hotel, Kuehnle's Hotel.^[1]

Career[edit]

Rise to power[edit]

Louis Sr. died leaving Kuehnle, aged 18, to take over Kuehnle's Hotel at the corner of South Carolina and Atlantic Avenues.^[2] A saloon named 'The Corner' was within the hotel and it became a popular meeting place for local politicians.^[1] The meetings included three Atlantic County power brokers, one of whom was Nucky Johnson's father Sheriff Smith E. Johnson. When one of those three politicians died in 1900, Kuehnle took his spot at the meetings and eventually took control of the club itself.^[2]

Nicknamed 'Louie', Kuehnle grew both in popularity and political power in Atlantic City inspiring other young politicians such as Harry and Isaac Bacharach and Enoch Johnson. He is credited as the architect and first leader of a partisan political machine in Atlantic City, and he held great control over the city from the late 1800s until his imprisonment in 1911. He responded to critics of his power by saying, 'They'll build a monument to me someday; I built this town'.^[1]

Community leader[edit]

Kuehnle was responsible for numerous improvements to the city, as he always remembered his goal of transforming Atlantic City into a major United States metropolis. Concerned with high rates for telephone and gas, he created his own telephone and gas companies, resulting in lower prices. His telephone company, named Atlantic Coast Telephone Company, would later be bought by Bell. Kuehnle also helped lower electric prices by supporting a competing utility in the area. He helped build the Boardwalk, and he even increased the amount of fresh water in town by building a water main from the mainland to Absecon Island. To show its possibility, he drilled an artesian well, and created the city's waterworks company. Kuehnle always was an entrepreneur in the transportation industry, helping to modernize the trolley system to improve intra-city transport.^[2]

Kuehnle was looked upon by many citizens of Atlantic City as a leader and protector. He would devise non-violent ways to get the state militia to visit and calm the community whenever a Philadelphia newspaper published an inflammatory article. He was charitable too, and well liked by the African-American community.^[2]

When Was Atlantic City Built

Joining the Atlantic City Yacht Club during his prime, he later served as chairman and this is essentially where he adopted the unofficial rank of 'Commodore', a nickname he kept until his death.^[1]

Corruption[edit]

Rackets such as prostitution, gambling and liquor were available at his hotel.^[1] Additionally, he extorted gambling rooms and whorehouses, plus a variety of legitimate businesses, to fund his Republican political operation. Because he saw them as appointees, Kuehle would force government employees to 'kick back' 5-7% of their salaries to the Republican party.^[2]

Election fraud was prevalent, with the Republicans paying black voters $2 per vote. These voters would be taken to multiple voting stations and vote in the names of the deceased who were still registered to vote. Kuehnle's Republicans increased their level of fraud in the 1910 gubernatorial campaign so their candidate would be elected as governor of New Jersey. Despite their work they lost and newly elected governor, future United States president, Woodrow Wilson was elected on a vow of addressing corruption in Atlantic City. Wilson, following his promise, investigated corruption by looking into the election results. He noted that there were more than 3,000 Republican votes identified as fraudulent in Atlantic City, so he elected a commission to prosecute. They received indictments but were unable to get a conviction of anyone important.^[2]

Legal trouble[edit]

Kuehnle's projects improved Atlantic City, but at a cost: the Republican Party (which he controlled) gave out city contracts but not necessarily to the lowest-cost bid. Quite often business contracts were awarded to companies that Kuehnle owned. In 1909, Atlantic City awarded a contract to construct a water main from the mainland. The winning bidder subsequently assigned part of the contract to a company in which Kuehnle was a part owner. Kuehnle, as the chairman of the city's water commission, thereafter approved contract changes that resulted in increased payments to the company in which he held an ownership interest. Wilson's team finally had a solid case against Kuehnle for conflict of interest.

In 1913, Kuehnle was convicted of conflict of interest related corruption and was sentenced to one year of hard labor plus a $1,000 fine. After his six-month sentence he traveled to Bermuda for vacation and took an extended trip to Bavaria, Germany, the home to his Kuehnle ancestry.

Return[edit]

By the time of his return to Atlantic City, Enoch 'Nucky' Johnson had become the unofficial boss of the city. After Kuehnle unsuccessfully challenged Johnson's leadership, Johnson agreed to support Kuehnle, his former mentor, for City Commissioner. Kuehnle was elected in 1920 and reelected every four-year term following that until his death in 1934 serving specifically as Commissioner of Parks and Public Property.^[1] As a commissioner, he proved to be an independent who sometimes opposed Johnson's organization.

Kuehnle died on August 6, 1934 and he is buried in Egg Harbor City, his hometown during his middle teen years. On the day of his death, the City Hall draped his chair in the Commission Chamber and City Hall itself in black, out of respect, and the flags hung at half staff on every firehouse. The street named Kuehnle Avenue is the only visible monument to Kuehnle currently in Atlantic City.^[1]

In popular culture[edit]

• Kuehnle served as the basis for the character Louis 'the Commodore' Kaestner played by Dabney Coleman in the TV series Boardwalk Empire.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefghiAtlantic City Public Library. 'Louis 'Commodore' Kuehnle'. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
2. ^ ^abcdefgA Boardwalk Empire Blog (September 26, 2010). 'The Reign of the Commodore: Louis Kuehnle'. Retrieved 3 January 2011.

Further reading[edit]

• Martin Paulsson. The Social Anxieties of Progressive Reform - Atlantic City, 1854-1920. New York University Press: New York, 1994.
• Nelson Johnson. Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. Plexus Publishing: Medford, NJ, 2002
• Who's Who in New Jersey, Atlantic County Edition. National Biographic News Service: New York, 1925.

External links[edit]

• Original Woodrow Wilson Letter: Will Not Pardon Kuehnle Shapell Manuscript Foundation

When Was Atlantic City Casinos Built

What was the original main attraction in Atlantic City, New Jersey? Answer: The Boardwalk, then came the World Famous Steel Pier.

When Was The Atlantic City Expressway Built

It was first constructed in 1870, 16 years after the resort city was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature. Atlantic City was viewed as a prime piece of real estate and its development brought wealthy visitors to the newly constructed resort with ocean views. Costing five thousand dollars and built 10 feet wide in sections of 12 feet, the first boardwalk was dedicated on June 16, 1870. No stores or commerce of any kind was permitted within thirty feet of the walk, and at the end of each summer season for many years, the Boardwalk was actually taken apart and stored for the winter months.

Visitors could walk out of their hotel and onto the beach but were put off by the sand. Developers did not anticipate how much of an issue the sand would be, enlisting the help of a railroad conductor and a hotel owner to create a walk way over the sand. Alex Boardman and Jacob Keim presented the idea of an eight foot wide wooden foot walk that would lead from the beach to town. The boardwalk was constructed from wooden planks arranged in rectangular patterns known as herringbone patterns. The planks lay on a substructure of concrete and steel. The boardwalk has been replaced a number of times, in 1884, 1889 and 1944 due to hurricane damage.

A storm in 1884 was the cause for a third boardwalk to be built, twenty-feet wide, two miles long, and this time with pilings five feet above the beach so the tides could wash safely underneath. Safety was not exactly the first thing you thought of when it came to the Boardwalk. At the beginning there were no railings, and accounts told of at least somebody every day falling off the boards, usually in the act of flirting.

The length of the boardwalk was originally 1 mile long, and now extends from Gardner’s Basin to Ventnor City. It is presently 60 feet wide and just over six miles long, currently the world’s longest wooden structure walkway.

The boardwalk prevented sand from littering hotels and casinos and in the early 1900′s amusement piers were built along the boardwalk. Once used as a fashion runway for wealthy visitors, the structure was transformed into a source of entertainment. It was not unusual to see people lined up for Dr. Courney’s Premature Infant Exhibit or a marathon dance contest. Historic Convention Hall is located on the structure and continues to play host to many special events including concerts, sporting events etc.

The roaring 1920′s brought much excitement to the area. Stunts, shows, the greatest big band music of the era, the original Miss America pageant and parades were all part of the entertainment. Women and men in the latest fashions, who wanted to be seen, knew the wooden walkway was the place to be and be seen. In 1929, just months before the stock market and U.S. economy crashed, The New York Times toasted the AC Boardwalk as, “A magnificent proof of America’s newly found wealth and leisure. It is an iridescent bubble on the surface of our fabulous prosperity.”

It is a permanent staple of the Jersey Shore, providing access to hotels, gift shops, attractions and the famous casinos that hundreds of thousands of travelers flock to every year. The historic “Steel Pier” still exists and is a growing attraction, “Central Pier” is there along with the “Pier Shops” and “Garden Pier” which hosts an amazing museum.

This was the first and longest wooden walkway, and still is to this day. Over a 140 years after its emergence and evolution, the it still stands as a historic American symbol of good times and rich culture. Some may still believe that Atlantic City’s future rides on the roll of a dice. You might want to take a stroll on that timeless Boardwalk to realize this city at the Jersey Shore is going nowhere but up. Proof of this is in the opening of Revel, the first new casino since 2001 and the addition of the Tanger Outlet, The Walk among other proftibal ventures.

When Was Resorts In Atlantic City Built

When Was Resorts Atlantic City Built

• 2014 Atlantic City Airshow Guide – August 12, 2014
• Family Magic and Comedy Show in Atlantic City – Rated #1 for Kids and Teenagers – May 14, 2014
• Guide to Miss America Week in Atlantic City with TV Schedule – May 9, 2014