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". Despite disbelief and opposition, the dreams of Abbot Kinney materialized in grand style. 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." He envisioned a resort town culturally reminiscent of Venice, Italy, complete with canals, gondolas, amusement piers, hotels and Venetian-styled structures. With the Casino thriving, Kinney and his partners purchased all the land south of Ocean Park. After the partnership dissolved, the split was determined by a flip of a coin and Kinney won the toss. He chose the marshy southern half of the property. With his family by his side, Kinney set out to accomplish his goal. In 1904, Kinney sent his building superintendent to the East Coast to visit various seaside resorts. Acquiring a landscape architect and town planner from Boston, Kinney and his staff drew up preliminary plans in June. Contracts were signed to dig up the half mile long, seventy foot wide Grand Canal and build the 900 foot long, 30 foot wide amusement pier at Windward Avenue. Construction began shortly thereafter. He then hired architects to design all the town buildings in "Venetian Renaissance" style.
%2C%20father%20of%20Venice%20Beach%20by%20TravelPod%20member%20Arsucasas,%20from%20Marina%20del%20Rey,%20United%20States%20...%20In%20the%201890's%2C%20one%20man's%20dream%20of%20a%20renaissance%20resort%20and%20amusement%20park%20transformed%20a%20deteriorating%20marshland%20west%20of%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20California%2C%20into%20the%20%22Coney%20Island%20of%20the%20Pacific%22.%20Despite%20disbelief%20and%20opposition%2C%20the%20dreams%20of%20Abbot%20Kinney%20materialized%20in%20grand%20style.%20%0D%0A%20%0D%0AThe%20vision%20of%20Abbot%20Kinney%2C%20a%20wealthy%20tobacco%20mogul%2C%20world%20traveler%20and%20co-owner%20of%20the%20Ocean%20Park%20Casino%20and%20Resort%2C%20was%20to%20turn%20the%20land%20south%20of%20Ocean%20Park%20through%20the%20Del%20Rey%20peninsula%20into%20a%20%22Venice%20of%20America.%22%20He%20envisioned%20a%20resort%20town%20culturally%20reminiscent%20of%20Venice%2C%20Italy%2C%20complete%20with%20canals%2C%20gondolas%2C%20amusement%20piers%2C%20hotels%20and%20Venetian-styled%20structures.%20With%20the%20Casino%20thriving%2C%20Kinney%20and%20his%20partners%20purchased%20all%20the%20land%20south%20of%20Ocean%20Park.%20After%20the%20partnership%20dissolved%2C%20the%20split%20was%20determined%20by%20a%20flip%20of%20a%20coin%20and%20Kinney%20won%20the%20toss.%20He%20chose%20the%20marshy%20southern%20half%20of%20the%20property.%20With%20his%20family%20by%20his%20side%2C%20Kinney%20set%20out%20to%20accomplish%20his%20goal.%20%20%0D%0AIn%201904%2C%20Kinney%20sent%20his%20building%20superintendent%20to%20the%20East%20Coast%20to%20visit%20various%20seaside%20resorts.%20Acquiring%20a%20landscape%20architect%20and%20town%20planner%20from%20Boston%2C%20Kinney%20and%20his%20staff%20drew%20up%20preliminary%20plans%20in%20June.%20Contracts%20were%20signed%20to%20dig%20up%20the%20half%20mile%20long%2C%20seventy%20foot%20wide%20Grand%20Canal%20and%20build%20the%20900%20foot%20long%2C%2030%20foot%20wide%20amusement%20pier%20at%20Windward%20Avenue.%20Construction%20began%20shortly%20thereafter.%20He%20then%20hired%20architects%20to%20design%20all%20the%20town%20buildings%20in%20%22Venetian%20Renaissance%22%20style.%20%0D%0A){kind=link}