On June 26, 1870, the first one-mile long section of the Atlantic City Boardwalk opened along the city's beach. Alexander Boardman, a railroad conductor and hotel owner, conceived the idea of constructing a boardwalk as a means of keeping sand out of the railroad cars and hotels. The city used $5,000 in bonds to build the Boardwalk, which consisted of 1½-inch thick boards attached to joists and built in 12-foot sections that were dismantled and stored during the winter.