It wasn’t always flip-flops and sunscreen along Nassau County’s southern shore.
Sometime around 1890, beachgoers in what is now Long Beach might have caught sight of something far less expected than a volleyball game—a horse-drawn wagon rolling across the sand.
This vintage photo, taken by photographer James Henry Work, captures a group of people enjoying a ride along the shoreline in a cart advertising “Geo. Bennet Hammels Station Lager.” In other words, yes, this was very likely a seaside beer run—Victorian edition.
Some fun context:
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The cart proudly displays the name “Geo. Bennet,” possibly linked to a local brewer or distributor connected to Hammels Station, a stop along the Long Island Rail Road in the Rockaways.
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The presence of a branded beer cart on the beach suggests that Long Island’s love of cold drinks by the water has deep roots.
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Long Beach itself was still being shaped into a resort destination in the late 19th century, well before the boardwalk, high-rises, or even the idea of zoning laws.
It’s a reminder that before ice cream trucks and cooler bags, sometimes all you needed was a horse, a wagon, and a thirst for lager.
