A Brief History of Blackpool
The Fylde was an area of forests and bogs dating back to Roman times. We were known as the water dwellers. The Romans built a road which went through Preston, and then continued west to a port situated north of Fleetwood.

The ancient parish of Bispham was recorded in the Doomsday Book.

In 1416 a district in the Fylde, including an area known as "Le Poole" the "pool", was a stream which drained the area known as Marton Mere into the sea near Manchester Square. The stream went through peat bog land, which turned the water to a black colour, hence the name Black Poole.

BLACKPOOL IN THE 17TH CENTURY

In 1602 people began to build cobble and clay huts near to the area of the "Pool". In the Bispham parish register, the names of " de Poole" and "de blackpoole" were mentioned, and the name of "Black Poole", was shortened to the present day name of "Blackpool"

BLACKPOOL IN THE 18TH CENTURY

The landed gentry began to visit Blackpool in the 1720`s. In 1735 Blackpool's first guest house was created by Ethart a` Whiteside, specifically for visitors to Blackpool. In 1780 the seaside resort now had 4 hotels and four ale houses in Blackpool, and 2 more in the district of Layton.

BLACKPOOL IN THE 19TH CENTURY

With the coming of the working class people of Northern England, Blackpool soon began to develop into a major seaside resort. The development was so dramatic that Blackpool's population rose from 473 in 1750 to 47,348 by the turn of the century
"Cometh the man, cometh the Railway". It was introduced in 1840, and in 1846 the railway stretched to Talbot Road. It allowed travellers from the mill towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire to have cheap excursion trips. And how they came in their thousands to Blackpool, the top entertainment centre of the North.

The North Pier was built in 1863: Central Pier 1868: South Pier 1894: The Tower 1894: The Grand Theatre: and the Big Wheel at the Wintergardens in 1896.
In 1879 Blackpool was the very FIRST place in the world to introduce the new concept of electric street lighting, which was empowered by the electric arc street lighting system.

The first Mayor of Blackpool, Dr. William Henry Cocker, was elected when the new town was made a Borough on the 21st January 1876.
The famous Blackpool Illuminations were created in 1912.With the Illuminations Blackpool now had a longer season than any of it's rival towns. The Pleasure Beach was built in 1905, and Stanley Park in 1906. I hope you found this information of some interest.

BLACKPOOL IN THE 20TH CENTURY

From a small fishing village in the 1820s, Blackpool has grown to the sprawling, bustling,vibrant town it is today. As Europe's top seaside resort with over 16.5 million visitors per year,it is known throughout the world, for its 7 miles of Illuminated Promenade, The Tower, Funfair, 3 Piers,Grand Theatre, Wintergardens complex, World Ballroom Dancing Championships,World Fireworks Championships,Shopping Centre, Sealife Centre, Markets, hundreds of hotels, from the small guesthouse, to the 5 star hotel, self catering apartments, many Pubs, night-clubs, working men's clubs, cafes and restaurants from Table D'hôte to A La Carte.