Leonard L. Nicholson Jr.
newspaper editor · active c. 1901
Editor of the Ocean City News, the resort's own 'neat little paper,' whose July 1901 promotional article — preserved through a Washington reprint — is a key primary window on the pre-boardwalk-era town.
In the record (1)
1899
"Bicycling, golf, tennis and base ball can be found at Ocean City" — the earliest golf reference this campaign has for the town, in a June 1899 booster column.
The Democratic Messenger's season-opening puff of 3 June 1899 listed the sports on offer: "For those who are fond of fishing and gunning they can indulge in these two sports to entire satisfaction at Ocean City. Bicycling, golf, tennis and base ball can be found at Ocean City. And for the most frivolous there is dancing, private theatricals, card parties and charades every night during the season." A month later the paper described a Washington and Rockville camping party of ten at the lower end of the board walk under a director named Jones, five of them members "of the famous Rockville Base-ball team one of the best amateur clubs in Maryland," whose manager Leonard Nicholson was "anxious to hear from all teams on the Eastern Shore of Maryland" for games with clubs in the towns near Ocean City. — 1899 FULL PASS, 2026-08-11 [confirmed]: Confirmed as a quotation and confirmed as advertising. The sentence stands at the centre of a column headed "OCEAN CITY AWAKENING — Everything is Being Made Ready For a Big Season," read whole: "It makes no difference in what direction a man's desire turns for enjoyment Ocean City can satisfy the most fastidious of tastes … Bicycling, golf, tennis and base ball can be found at Ocean City." A further 165 pages of the county paper in a second filming name no links, no court and no ball ground at Ocean City. The unverified confidence is correct and should not be moved.
Unverified — sourced but not confirmed against a primary record.
Source · checked 2026-08-06