Click here to view slideshowTimes Square is perhaps the most recognizable place in New York City. Yet, as iconic as the intersection of Broadway, West 42nd Street, and 7th Avenue is today, it had humble beginnings.In the early 20th century, the area was known as Longacre Square, and it was the center of New York's horse and carriage trade. Then, in 1904, The New York Times set up its headquarters in the skyscraper that's known as Times Tower today. The city officially changed the name of the square to mark the occasion. With the advent of the subway system, foot traffic in Times Square increased dramatically, drawing more businesses to the neighborhood. But the Great Depression forced many of them to close their doors and more salacious attractions moved in.It wasn't until the 1990s that Times Square was revitalized, and it's now the most popular tourist attraction in the United States, drawing in more than 50 million visitors each year. Below, read more about the history of Times Square. And above, look through 30 vintage photos of the "Crossroads of the World."The Early History Of Times SquareWhen New York was first settled by Europeans, the area that's now Times Square was used as farmland. But as the city rapidly grew, businessman John Jacob Astor purchased large swaths of the land and sold it off to developers. In the 19th century, it became the center of the city's carriage industry and was dubbed Longacre Square after London's Long Acre, the street where many coach makers ran their businesses.Then, in 1900, construction began on New York's subway system. The New York Times moved its headquarters to a newly-built skyscraper in Longacre Square in 1904, and publisher Adolph Ochs convinced the city's mayor to build a subway station at the intersection of Broadway, West 42nd Street, and 7th Avenue.Public DomainLongacre Square shortly before it became known as Times Square, circa 1904.It quickly became one of the busiest stations in the city, and Times sales skyrocketed due to the increased foot traffic. Other companies took note and moved to the neighborhood, which was officially renamed Times Square on April 8, 1904. While the Times outgrew Times Tower and moved once more less than a decade later, the name stuck.On Dec. 31, 1904, Ochs hosted Times Square's first New Year's Eve party, and the first ball was dropped atop Times Tower three years later a tradition that continues to this day. Over the next two decades, Times Square continued to grow. New Yorkers gathered there to learn the latest news, such as the score of the 1919 World Series and updates on World War I. But after the stock market crash of 1929, the Great Depression took hold of the city, and many businesses had to close their doors and cheaper forms of entertainment moved in.How The Heart Of New York Fell Into DepravityWorld War II also had a diminishing effect on Times Square. In May 1942, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia ordered all exterior lights turned off at night to protect the city from potential air and naval attacks. Frank Powell, one of the workers who maintained the electric news ticker on Times Tower, told The New York Times in May 1942, "All I want is to start it up again the night Hitler gets killed. That would tickle me to death."Powell wasn't the only person celebrating at the end of the war. When Japan announced its surrender in August 1945, crowds flocked to Times Square to party in the streets, leading to the famous photo of a sailor kissing a complete stranger.But as the years went on, Times Square became a vestige of what it once was. As theaters and stores closed, seedier businesses moved in. At first, these were simply movie theaters and penny arcades. But as time went on, peep shows and sex shops popped up. Sex workers roamed the streets, initially drawn to the area by soldiers returning from Europe.vaticanus/FlickrAn advertisement for a sex show in Times Square in the early 1980s.By the 1980s, the crack cocaine epidemic had reached New York City, and Times Square became a center of the drug trade. Crime rates and homelessness surged, and the streets were littered with trash, human waste, and drug paraphernalia. What was once known as the "Crossroads of the World" had become gritty and crime-ridden. It was clear that something had to change.The Revitalization Of The 'Crossroads Of The World'Revitalization efforts began in the late 1980s. Mayor Ed Koch used eminent domain to condemn buildings that had fallen into disrepair, and rezoning laws were passed that allowed the government to shut down certain sex shops in the neighborhood.When Rudy Giuliani took office in 1994, he utilized his connections with real estate developers to lure in upscale hotels and family-friendly stores. Nielsoncaetanosalmeron/Wikimedia CommonsThe Disney Store is one of the most popular businesses in Times Square.Some critics have referred to this as the "Disneyfication" of Times Square but it worked. The area is once again a hub for entertainment, shopping, commerce, and tourism. Historic theaters have been restored, and crime rates have dropped due to a heightened police presence.The neighborhood still has its issues from naked cowboys to sanitation complaints but it's a far cry from what it once was, for better or for worse.After looking through these vintage photos of Times Square, see these images of New York City before it was developed. Then, discover what the Big Apple was like during the Roaring Twenties.The post 30 Historical Photos Of Times Square, The Crossroads Of The World appeared first on All That's Interesting.