History Lesson of Venice Beach

If it hadn't been for Abbot Kinney's asthma, Venice may never have been founded. Kinney, born 1850 in Brookside, New Jersey, was on a three year trip around the world when a snowstorm prevented his return to the east coast. He journeyed, instead, to Sierra Madre and was so impressed by the climate he developed a citrus ranch called Kinneloa.

In the 1890’s, one man’s dream of a renaissance resort and amusement park transformed a deteriorating marshland west of Los Angeles, California, into the "Coney Island of the Pacific". The vision of Abbot Kinney, a wealthy tobacco mogul, world traveler and co-owner of the Ocean Park Casino and Resort, was to turn the land south of Ocean Park through the Del Rey peninsula into a "Venice of America." Despite disbelief and opposition, the dreams of Abbot Kinney materialized in grand style.

After his marriage in 1884, Kinney began purchasing land to the south with Francis Ryan. The partners developed Ocean Park with a walk pier and a country club. A streetcar line was extended to the site.

After Ryan's untimely death in 1898, and a succession of partners with whom Kinney couldn't agree, it was decided that the land speculator would toss a coin and the winner would choose which half of the district would be his. When Kinney won the toss, he startled the other four partners by choosing the barren, marshy property. Kinney soon announced that his sand dunes and marshland would soon be a cultural city patterned after Venice, Italy. He envisioned a resort town culturally reminiscent of Venice, Italy, complete with canals, gondolas, amusement piers, hotels and Venetian-styled structures. The public laughed and dubbed the plan "Kinney's Folly".

They stopped laughing when trenches for canals were dug and Venetian-patterned buildings began to spring up. By July 4, 1905, Venice-of-America officially opened with a wonderful pier and exciting attractions: Italian gondoliers poling their boats down fairy-lit canals, a concert orchestra supplying music that could be heard nearly all over town, camel rides, exotic hotels catering to the best tastes and a miniature railroad circling the entire scene. It was very apparent right from the start that tourists were excited about the new Venice of America. Venice of America was a success. With the canal network near completion and the adjacent residential lots sold, Venice began to grow at an enormous rate. The imported gondolas and the miniature railroad, which carted people in around the town, also arrived that summer. The town was booming and began attracting out-of-town sideshows and amusements. Excitement and Venice were synonymous.

By 1920, Venice's population reached 10,385 residents. Despite Prohibition, Venice increased it's growth with new and improved attractions on both the Abbot Kinney Pier and the Ocean Park Pier. Speakeasies also emerged in basements of businesses along Windward Avenue. Liquor supplies were smuggled through tunnels leading from the beaches to hotel basements.

Sadly, on November 4, 1920, tobacco baron, Abbot Kinney died of lung cancer from years of heavy smoking, leaving his eldest son, Thornton, to take over the business. One month later, his amusement pier burned to the ground. The only attractions spared by the fire were a new roller coaster and the bandstand tower. Six months later, the pier was rebuilt and operating. In 1924, the Ocean Park Pier experienced yet another devastating fire that destroyed the entire complex and the adjacent Licks Pier. Both piers reopened in 1926.

By 1925, Venice's politics became unmanageable. It's roads, water and sewage systems badly needed repair and expansion to keep up with its growing population.

Distraught by the inability of the City Council to adequately govern Venice, the residents held an election and the voters decided that Venice be officially annexed to the City of Los Angeles in November 1925. It was like Los Angeles annexing Disneyland. The city, which never cared for Venice’s honky tonk atmosphere, started to dismantle the amusement industry. It began with the removal of the miniature railroad and filled in the majority of the canals to accommodate increased automobile traffic.

In 1932 the Depression hit hard. Various Venice banks went bankrupt and the Venice Pier went into receivership. However, when liquor consumption became legal again and bingo games were modified into a game of skill, the economy benefited.

When World War II started, it affected Venice and it's seaside amusement centers. A blackout was instilled which allowed only daytime use of the piers and their attractions. National Guardsmen patrolled the beaches in search of enemy submarines and ships. During the daytime, Venice became a major draw for sailors and soldiers on weekend leave. Country Western and Swing music echoed from the dance halls and casino lounges. The evening curfew was eventually lifted in 1944 and life in Venice returned to normal.

Los Angeles had neglected Venice so long that, by the 1950's, it had become the "Slum by the Sea." With the exception of new police and fire stations in 1930, the city spent little on improvements after annexation. During the 50's, the Lawrence Welk Band brought a new resurgence of business to the ailing dance halls and piers. A televised show made Welk a national celebrity. But by the end of the decade, pawn shops and liquor stores had replaced the souvenir shops and bingo parlors, and tourists were nowhere to be found.

Venice was in a severe state of decay and in desperate need for redevelopment. In the early 60’s, the city instituted a policy of "Code Enforcement" where all buildings had to be upgraded to current building standards.
A new group of people had made their way into the confines of Venice in the 60’s. The "Beats" as they were referred to brought a Bohemian life style. Life centered around art, poetry and new-jazz. Venice was tolerant of their life styles and they gathered in the local coffee houses. Where the Beats left off the Hippies took over. The flower children of the 60's flocked to Venice to experience free expression during their "summer of love." The canals witnessed pot parties, love-ins and drunken frenzies. Several riots occurred during outdoor beach concerts with resulting arrests.

Venice experienced a rebirth in the 70's but not as a major tourist destination. The focal point was on maintaining the character of Venice so as not to chase out the low income population. In 1972, the city constructed an 18 mile bicycle path adjacent to Ocean Front Walk which extends from Torrance to Santa Monica. The new visitors were local residents riding bikes through the depressed Venice, bringing it new life. In 1974, nude sunbathing was actually permitted north of the Pavilion. It caused such a stir that the City of LA voted 14 to 1 to ban the fully exposed from sun bathing. This brought a new sight to Venice, the Los Angeles Police dressed in blue shorts and T-shirts enforcing the new law.

In 1976, with the invention of the polyurethane skate wheel, outdoor skating became the rage. Venice's wide Ocean Front Walk and bicycle path made it an ideal location for skating. Vendors began renting roller skates from outdoor lots along the ocean front and tourists flocked to the area to experience the new sport. With the crowds came street performers and sidewalk artists along with T-shirt and sun glass stands. The Los Angeles city mayor deemed Venice "the roller skating capital of the World." Venice had become a tourist attraction again.

In the late 70's and early 80's, Venice saw the likes of mural art. Buildings all around town were brilliantly livened up with scenes depicting landscapes, everyday life and tributes to Venice artists such as Jim Morrison of the legendary band, The Doors. With an onslaught of street artists, vendors, musicians, body builders, palm readers and live television coverage during the 1984 Summer Olympics, Venice began receiving visitors from around the world on a daily basis.

Venice history is still being written. Today Venice is keeping with its colorful tradition as being the number one seaside destination on the West Coast.

Venice today is a cultural melting pot of art, music and its own lifestyle. One can cruise the Boardwalk and see many street artists, vendors, musicians, bodybuilders, palm readers and movies being filmed throughout the area.

* All information taken from various sources.

John Arthur Maynard: "Venice, California, has seldom been an entirely respectable place."
Richard Omura: "The throng...is probably a modern-day equivalent of the Capernaum of Jesus's time."
Bruce Paltrow: "When you come to Venice, you do special work."
Dylan Rush: "Venice is like no place else."
John Austin: ".....one of the last remaining strongholds of individualism in Southern California."

By His Grace,
Eric