The sandy shoreline along what is now Long Beach and Lakeshore Park in Echo served as the original landing spot for boats supplying Walleye’s Trading Post and Fort Meeker. When boat traffic shifted south to what would become The Docks, Long Beach became an unused wilderness area with a beautiful stretch of lakefront. The first resort appeared in the 1890’s, and throughout the first half of the twentieth century, Long Beach grew into a tourist destination. Peaking in the 1960’s, Long Beach, like much of the city, began to decay. Fewer and fewer tourists sought a vacation on the northern edge of a rapidly rusting, postindustrial metropolis. In recent years, Long Beach has experienced a revival.
