A crowd gathers on the deck of the SS Palo Alto, colloquially known as the “Cement Ship,” on May 31, 1954. Built in 1919 as a 420-foot concrete tanker, it was eventually decommissioned and hauled to Seacliff Beach in 1929. By 1930, it was fixed up to feature a casino, a heated swimming pool and the Rainbow Ballroom and Fish Palace restaurant.










