Thursday, April 15 -- In 90 years, what started as a way for the new city of Santa Monica to deal with the human waste problems of its growing population has turned into a famous tourist attraction and historic landmark of international renown.

The fabled Santa Monica Pier has been through as many incarnations as the city it juts out from. On Wednesday city elders gathered at the old carousel to wish a happy 90th birthday to not one, but two piers pushed together -- the Looff and the Municipal piers.

"If you look back at the books, there are a range of dates," said Jan Palchikoff, executive director of the Pier Restoration Corporation. "We chose 1909 because that's when the public was welcomed to the pier for the first time."

It's been nearly destroyed and rebuilt, slated for destruction and saved. Owners have come and gone, roller coasters have risen and fallen, but the pier remains a steadfast symbol of the city and the western edge of Route 66.

During the past 90 years, the huge wooden structure mounted on massive pilings has assumed an aura that defies its base origins.

But for some, the pier's allure remains something of a mystery.

"There's nothing remarkable about it," said Jeffrey Stanton whose book "Santa Monica Pier, A History from 1875 to 1990" tells the photo-stocked definitive tale of the pier's history. "It's a surprise to people, but it was built to carry raw sewage out to the ocean."

Stanton said the pier saw its best days during the 1920s when its second roller coaster was installed and dancers flocked to the La Monica Ballroom.

"If you want to pick a heyday, it's from 1924 to the depression," Stanton said.

Still modern boosters are looking backward as well as forward.

"The pier has been here for a long time," said Palchikoff. "And we want to reintroduce people to it."

Although the pier remains something of a drain on city coffers and the recent addition of the Pacific Park, with its mild roller coaster and Sea Dragon ride, failed to bring in the throngs of visitors officials had hoped, the pier remains a popular destination.

"We're working to make it profitable," said Mayor Pam O'Connor.

But O'Connor said the cost of operating the pier should be weighed against the public benefit.

"Is it going to turn a profit like Disneyland?" she said. "Probably not."

Still, O'Connor, ever the baseball fan, was quick to point out a remote connection with her favorite team.

"The last time the Cubs won the World Series," she said, "the pier wasn't even built."

(To read more about Stanton's history of the pier visit http://naid.sppsr.ucla.edu/venice on the Internet.)