Did you know the Santa Monica pier, was built in 1909 to dispose of sewage? Or that it housed a jail for a short time? There are a ton of fascinating facts about this Southern California landmark on the Santa Monica Pier website. I just spent a good chunk of time reading all about it and I think you’ll find it really interesting too. Who would have ever guessed the comic strip and cartoon hero, Popeye was based on one of the colorful characters that frequented the pier in its early days?