In the late 1950s, Vance and Pearl McCabe built York Beach Mall and developed Paradise Shores, where the first model home reflected the tiki designs and "Polynesian-fever" that spread when Hawaii became a new state. In 1964, Paradise Shores lots of 6,000 square feet sold for $1,550, larger than elsewhere in South Bethany Town, and Carlisle Lagoon was the widest canal; by 1970, the lots were selling for $5,400, and a sample deed shows a Paradise Shores property sale for $13,000 in 1976. Families were drawn to Paradise Shores and York Beach for waterfront convenience, including parking boats at the back door, while children explored the canals and residents enjoyed the beach and backyard wildlife. Paradise Shores originally had no bulkheads along its shoreline until the town created a Compulsory Bulkheading Ordinance in 1983, beginning the process of building them.