Friday Flashback #46

The July 4th holiday — the biggest beach-going celebration of the year — is a good time to look back at Compo Beach of yore.

Here it was in the early 1900s — almost deserted, but ringed with wooden bathhouses:

The cannons were placed at the beach in 1910 1901. Shortly thereafter, a horse and cart passed by:

Here’s one of the rafts that were anchored offshore:

There’s a common element to these photos, taken half a century apart:

Rocks.

From long before the British landed offshore in 1777, right up until the late 1950s, Compo was not the sandy beach it is today. It was rocky, uneven — downright uncomfortable.

A major project created the Compo we know and love. It was not easy — but it was important.

Think about these photos the next time you complain about anything beach-related.

Like sand on the boardwalk.