Named for owner Harry Roberts (pictured above right with wife Bessie), the 12 cottages were open year-round and boasted air-conditioning and gas heat. Those too tired to return home had a few lodging options in the 1950s, one of which was Roberts Beach Cottages, as seen above. Even so, frolickers found their way to the Gulf’s edge, settling in for a day of waterfront picnicking or sunbathing.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a time when tourism didn’t reign supreme in the coastal Alabama town.ĭecades before souvenir shops and high-rise condos began dotting the coastline, a lack of roads and bridges made reaching the powdery shore difficult. Photo courtesy AL.com, Birmingham News File PhotoĪfter being thrust into the national spotlight, thanks to Hurricane Frederic’s 1979 torrent, people from all over America discovered what Alabamians had long since known: Gulf Shores’ pristine white beaches are second to none. Left to right: Ernest Romeo, Bessie Roberts and Harry Roberts at Roberts Beach Cottages, as seen in the 1950s.
