Joseph Fralinger

[1] The confectionary store he founded in the late 19th century in Atlantic City remains a fixture on its famous boardwalk.

[2] Fralinger was a glassblower and fish merchant before he opened a retail store on the Atlantic City boardwalk to sell his taffy.

Raised by an uncle, his only legacy was the local area's major industry, glass blowing, which he had learned from his father.

He worked that trade in Winslow, Waterford, and Philadelphia for sixteen years until strikes and disputes drove him to seek other employment.

Having formed a fascination for Atlantic City, he returned and accepted a job with bricklayer Edward S. Lee.

By 1880 the Ritchie Brothers and Windle W. Hollis had set up stands on the Atlantic City Boardwalk to sell taffy, the candy sensation of the day.

The year 1884 found Joseph Fralinger in better financial position and he opened a cigar store at 724 Atlantic Avenue.

He leased space for a soft drink stand from Captain John L. Young and Stewart McShea near New York Avenue.

Fralinger carried the first baskets of apples from the Florida Avenue Draw Bridge at the Thoroughfare as fresh fruit for his stand.

At the end of the Summer of 1884, Captain John L. Young approached Fralinger to take over the taffy stand on the Applegate Pier.

His friendship with John L. Young and Stewart McShea led to numerous real estate ventures including the Toboggan Slide at Ocean Avenue.

Joseph F. Fralinger died at 78 years old on May 13, 1927, and was laid to rest at the Atlantic City Cemetery on the mainland.