In order to deal with the sand that all the visitors tracked into the hotels, the first boardwalk was constructed. It was 8 feet wide and cost the town half its budget.
There are many stories about the origin of saltwater taffy, but the one that story that seems to be most accepted is the one that involves a small souvenir shop on the Atlantic City boardwalk. John Edmiston hired David Bradley to sell taffy in his shop. One night the shop was flooded with ocean water. A day later, they began selling the water-soaked candy, and people loved it. The rest is history.