Jeffrey Stanton Venice of America: 'Coney Island of the Pacific,' Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1987. 176 pp., 1911,
Chapter 2; Coney Island of the Pacific (1907-1912)
"The Venice/Ocean Park area had become the finest amusement center on the west coast . . . Besides the innovative rides, dance halls, theaters, plunges, and bowling alleys, there were a dozen places for a game of chance. Hype and innovation were the rule, and it was on the Venice Pier that Felix Simmonds, a concessionaire, claimed to have invented the hamburger. "