New at Old York
What do Queen Victoria, the War of 1812 and the Industrial Revolution have to do with York Beach?
By Cheryl Farley
Community Relations
The York Beach Fire Department was just one of the services created in York Beach in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to accommodate the needs of the growing summer population.Courtesy photo
The early settlers of York supported themselves through farming, trades, fishing and maritime commerce. The 19th century brought major events that caused drastic changes in American society, and locally led to the development of the tourist industry and hence, York Beach as we know it.
Since its settlement in the 1630s, York had been a major shipping port. The Embargo of 1807 and the War of 1812 all but destroyed the region's maritime economy. Many York residents had to find new ways to earn their living.
The Industrial Revolution and post Civil War economy took families away from rural populations and into the cities. During the 17th and 18th centuries the majority of the U. S. population resided in rural areas. In 1870 the urban population of the U.S. was nine million; by 1910 it rose to 42 million. For the first time in U.S. history there was an increase in disposable income among the general population and an urban middle class emerged. Working class families could now afford vacations and were looking for places to escape the pollution and heat of the city, seeking the healthy atmosphere of the shore.
Consequently, the tourism industry began in York. York Beach emerged as a tourist destination in the 1860s and continued development into the early part of the 20th century, a time synonymous with the term "Victorian." Queen Victoria's long reign (1837 - 1901) and the expansion of the British Empire influenced architecture, interior design, fashion and the social conduct of people around the world, first in major cities and finally to rural areas.
Little by little, York people sold their farmland to developers or bought land to build boarding houses and hotels themselves. The Nubble, Long Sands and Short Sands areas became the center of a building boom to accommodate the growing tourist industry. Hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, movie cinema, arcades and retail establishments appeared.
The growth of the tourist industry had a major (and mostly positive) impact on the local economy by creating jobs. The hotel owners hired locals to maintain grounds, cook, wait on tables, etc. Local farmers produced dairy products and vegetables for hotels and restaurants. They also provided livery services, meat, baked goods and ice. Many of the liveries provided both space for tourists' animals as well as horse and carriages to rent for excursions. The lumber industry boomed as it provided needed material for building but also wood for fuel.
In addition to jobs the industry also created the need for services. The construction of so many wood structures in a concentrated area created the need for the York Beach Fire Department. In 1890 the York Beach Social Club raised $235 to buy a horse-drawn hook and ladder from Dover, N.H., and 12 leather fire buckets from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. A fundraiser was held at Clement's (now Inn on the Blues) in 1893 to purchase 100 secondhand books to form the nucleus of the first public library in York. By 1896 the library contained 600 books. Churches were another outcome of the tourist boom: Star-of-the-Sea Catholic Church was built in 1901 and the Union Congregational Church was built between 1894 and 1895.
York Beach remained a popular destination through the 1920s. The invention of the car gave people the freedom to explore formerly remote places. The Great Depression added to the drop in visitation, although working class families who still maintained jobs continued to vacation in York Beach and many locals still operated successful businesses. It was World War II that finally ended the Victorian era resort's popularity.
"It was the end of an era, really. ...Some of the fellas that you knew were killed in the war and didn't come back, and people began to sort of sell, they got older, and needed change ... a lot of men in the service were gone from the country and gasoline was rationed, you couldn't take a vacation." - Donald and Charles Craig, York Beach summer residents.
What remains is York Beach today, to be enjoyed by local residents and tourists. If you are interested in more information on the history of York Beach, plan on taking one of our walking tours offered this summer or visit our research library located at 207 York St.
