HISTORIC PICTURES OF
OLD ORCHARD BEACH

POSTCARD OF THE BEACH IN THE AREA WHERE THE PIER WAS EVENTUALLY BUILT IN 1898

HERE IS A TURN OF THE CENTURY PICTURE LOOKING DOWN OLD ORCHARD ST FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE RIGHT CORNER STILL STANDS, CHANGED ONLY SLIGHTLY FROM THAT TIME.

THIS SHOWS A SMALL MERRY-GO-ROUND SET UP ON THE BEACH, PRIOR TO THE MORE PERMANENT AMUSEMENTS WHICH WERE EVENTUALLY BUILT

THE SQUARE PRIOR TO THE GREAT FIRE OF 1907. SHOWS THE HOTELS ALBERTA AND VELVET

THIS PICTURE SHOWS A SMALL LOG CABIN BY THE CASCADE FALLS, LOCATED OFF THE CASCADE ROAD

NOAH'S ARK WAS A WELL KNOWN AMUSEMENT IN OLD ORCHARD BEACH FOR MANY YEARS, IT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE IN JULY 1969

BOTTOM OF OLD ORCHARD STREET PRIOR TO 1907. THE TROLLYS SEEN TRAVELED TO PORTLAND AND SACO/BIDDEFORD

THIS TROLLY PICTURE IS ON WASHINGTON AVENUE BY THE CAMPGROUND SIGN

A WINTER SCENE ON THE BEACH NEAR THE PIER AND GRAND HOTELS

ANOTHER ICE FORMATION NEAR GOOGINS ROCKS LOCATED NEAR THE END OF UNION AVENUE

VIEW FROM STAPLES ST OVER OLD ORCHARD STREET TO THE WATER FRONT IN EARLY 1900'S

TOP OF OLD ORCHARD STREET SHOWING TROLLIES IN FRONT OF THE TOWN HALL

ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE SQUARE AREA OF A YOUNG BUT GROWING OLD ORCHARD

THE FIRST PICTURE WAS DURING THE DEVASTATING FIRE IN 1907 OF THE HOTELS IN THE SQUARE BURNING, THE SECOND PICTURE WAS TAKEN THE FOLLOWING DAY SHOWING THE MASS DESTRUCTION OF NEARLY A FOURTH OF THE TOWN

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HERE ARE TWO MORE PICTURES OF PART OF THE DESTROYED AREA FOLLOWING THE MAJOR FIRE OF AUGUST 1907

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EARLY PICTURE OF ST. MARGARETS CHURCH AT THE CORNER OF SACO AVE AND OLD ORCHARD ST. THIS CHURCH IS AS MUCH A LANDMARK IN THE TOWN AS ANY OTHER STRUCTURE. THE DIRT ROAD IN THE FOREGROUND OF THE PICTURE IS ADELAIDE RD

HERE IS A PICTURE LOOKING DOWN PORTLAND AVE NORTH OF THE TOWN HALL

THREE PICTURES OF THE AREA OF THE OCEAN PARK SQUARE

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SMALL CARTS PULLED BY DOGS, DONKEYS, AND THEN HORSES WERE DRIVEN ON THE BEACH SELLING A PEANUT CONFECTION MADE BY THE PEANUTINE COMPANY ON OLD ORCHARD ST. HERE IS A PICTURE OF ONE OF THE CARTS ON THE BEACH

VIEW LOOKING WEST ALONG THE BEACH FROM THE PIER

VIEW LOOKING EAST ALONG THE BEACH FROM THE PIER

HERE IS A PICTURE OF PORTLAND AVE (NOW SACO AVE) SHOWING SAINT MARGARETS CHURCH AND THE OLD ORCHARD HOUSE

NICE PIC FROM THE END OF THE PIER SHOWING THE SQUARE AND GRAND HOTELS

....AND ANOTHER VIEW FROM THE PIER

HERE IS AN INTERESTING VIEW OF THE BACK OF THE PIER ENTRANCE, AN ANNEX TO THE FOREST PIER HOTEL

HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE "DUMMY" TRAIN WHICH RAN FROM DOWNTOWN OLD ORCHARD TO CAMP ELLIS IN SACO

1920'S - 1930'S VIEW OF THE SQUARE AREA LOOKING UP TOWARD THE OLD ORCHARD HOUSE

VIEW OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE PIER, SHOWING THE MERRY-GO-ROUND & NOAH'S ARK

THE JACK RABBIT ROLLER COASTER AND "BIG ELI" FERRIS WHEEL IN A PICTURE WHICH ALSO SHOWS A SQUARE FULL OF 20'S & 30'S AUTOMOBILES

SEASIDE PARK FEATURED THIS "SCENIC" COASTER TYPE RIDE WHICH INCLUDED RIDING THROUGH TUNNELS WITH LIT UP PICTURES

TOP OF THE SQUARE PICTURE CIRCA 1940'S

1950'S TO 1960'S SHOWS THE ENTRANCE TO THE WHITE WAY, NOAH'S ARK, AND THE JACK & JILL SLIDE

SAME ERA PICTURE OF THE SQUARE AREA

THE MERRY-GO-ROUND AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PIER

1960'S VIEW OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE PIER. A FIRE IN 1969 DESTROYED ALL THAT CAN BE SEEN IN THIS PICTURE. IT WAS REPORTED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE MERRY-GO-ROUND ON THE LEFT OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE PIER

PICTURE OF THE AMUSEMENT AREA FROM THE BEACH PRIOR TO THE 1969 FIRE

THIS SHOWS THE AFTERMATH OF THE JULY 18, 1969 FIRE. LITTLE ON THAT SIDE OF THE STREET WAS LEFT. ACROSS THE SQUARE CAN BE SEEN THE PALACE PLAYLAND ARCADE INCLUDING THE FUNHOUSE ENTRANCE (THE LARGE CLOWN HEAD ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ARCADE)

ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE AREA BURNED IN THE 1969 FIRE

THE SQUARE AND PIER ENTRANCE AS IT APPEARED IN THE 1980'S

PICTURE OF THE SQUARE AS IT LOOKS NOW

HERE IS A RECENT VIEW OF THE PIER

DURING THE 1980'S, A BUILDING SPREE OF LARGE CONDOMINIUMS CHANGED THE LOOK OF THE BEACHFRONT AT OLD ORCHARD BEACH

HERE IS A RECENT VIEW OF THE WATERFRONT LOOKING FROM THE EAST. THE WATER AND MARSH AT THE RIGHT OF THE PICTURE IS A POND AT LITTLE RIVER

PICTURES TAKEN DECEMBER 14, 2001 OF THE INAUGURAL RUN OF THE NEW "DOWNEASTER", THE PASSENGER TRAIN WHICH WILL RUN BETWEEN BOSTON AND PORTLAND

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