GROWTH OF BLACKPOOL AS A HEALTH AND HOLIDAY RESORT 79 



Shore was rapidly developed. Talbot Road was opened out and the lower 

 end formed into a spacious square. Several hotels and large houses were built. 

 Carlton Terrace was built in 1863, and Claremont Park begun in the same year. 

 In 1867, the Prince of Wales' Arcade in Central Beach was opened, and in 

 1868, the Arcade and Assembly Rooms in Talbot Square. 



In 1863 the Local Board took over from the lessee the gas undertaking, 

 which for some years had been a losing concern. From the beginning a profit 

 was made, and since that date to March, 1 936, the total net profit has amounted 

 to £627,683, £382,271 of which has been contributed to rate relief and 

 £124,111 to 'other purposes.' These include amounts assigned to annual 

 Fetes, from 1878 to 1882, inclusive ; decorating the Parade and the Battle of 

 Flowers, from 1889 to 1892 ; the Agricultural Shows of 1883, 1884 and 1894 ; 

 the purchase of pictures for the Art Gallery, and the Autumn Illuminations. 



The Second Improvement Act, 1865, empowered the Local Board to under- 

 take the construction of a new promenade and carriage way from Carlton 

 Terrace to South Shore. Two applications had to be made. The first failed 

 because the expenses were to be borne by the whole body of the ratepayers. 

 The second succeeded because the Bill empowered the Local Authority to 

 levy tolls for the use of the Piomenade. This power was not intended to be, 

 and never has been put into force. This will readily be understood by all who 

 have seen the Blackpool Promenade on any recent Bank Holiday. The 

 Promenade and carriage way was constructed from Cocker Street to Dean 

 Street at a cost of £88,000. It was opened on Easter Monday, 1 870, by Colonel 

 Wilson-Patten, M.P. for North Lancashire (afterwards Lord Winmarleigh). 



Blackpool celebrates this year the Diamond Jubilee of the Charter of In- 

 corporation, which was granted on January 21st, 1876. The Charter Mayor 

 was Alderman William Henry Cocker, who shares with Henry Banks the 

 position at the head of the list of those entitled to be called ' Makers of Black- 

 pool.' The Memorial in Stanley Park commemorates his services to the town, 

 which are also honoured by the inclusion of the lion in the Arms of the Borough. 

 The population in 1876 has been estimated at approximately 10,000. The 

 rateable value was £76,838 and a penny rate produced £279. Dr. Cocker's 

 most famous achievement was undoubtedly the State Visit in 1878, of the 

 Lord Mayor of London, the Sheriff of Middlesex, the Lord Mayors and 

 Mayors of fifty cities and towns of the North and Midlands, together with 

 their ladies, for the opening of the Winter Gardens. They were entertained 

 for a week at the Hotel Metropole, a public subscription being raised for the 

 purpose. This was a most effective piece of publicity and set the high standard 

 in the art of advertising which Blackpool has ever since been obliged to maintain 

 in a world of increasing competition. 



The necessity for advertising was soon grasped, and in 1879, the Third 

 Improvement Act gave the new borough a unique privilege, repeatedly denied 

 to rival resorts, which has since enabled her to levy annually a twopenny rate 

 for advertising purposes. 



The Promenade Tramway, which Blackpool claims was the first electric 

 tramway in the country, was opened in 1885. It was owned and run by a 

 private company. In 1892, Parliamentary sanction was obtained by the 

 Corporation to acquire the undertaking and the plant and rolling stock were 



