History of the Beach

For many families vacation time means a trip to the beach. 

The leisure sport of vacationing at the beach is fairly modern.

One of the earliest seaside resorts opened in the 1720s in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England. Bathing
Machines were introduced in 1735.  These were wooden carts that were rolled into the sea. 

Men and women had separate carts to change into their bathing suits and wade into the water.  Bathing suits of this time, while considerably modest compared to today’s
standards, were deemed “inappropriate” to be viewed by the opposite sex.

By the 1840s, 1850s and 1860s, the development of the railroad made travel much easier for those who lived in the city.  Seaside resorts continued to grow and
become more and more popular with not only the aristocrats, but also the working class. 

By the early 20th Century, commercial sea bathing had spread as a leisure sport to the United States and Australia.

Cotton mills in the south usually closed for the week of the 4th of July making this a popular time to get away and vacation at the beach. 

Myrtle Beach is a popular beach on the east coast.  Myrtle Beach is one of the major centers for tourism in the United States.