Burlington, Wisconsin

Burlington is a city in Racine and Walworth counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, with the majority of the city located in Racine County. The population was 10,464 at the 2010 census. All of it was in the Racine County portion of the city.

History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the area, Native American mounds were constructed in what is now Burlington. Although around 1830 a small Potawatomi village stood in what is now the Town of Burlington, there was no Native American settlement in the area encompassed by the present city.

The earliest certain European presence in what is now Burlington was in the fall of 1799, when a group of French explorers and missionaries, led by Francis Morgan de Vereceones, made aportage from the Root River to the Fox River, reaching the Fox at about Burlington's present location.

The earliest European settlers in Burlington were four men: Moses and Lemuel Smith, the sons of a Revolutionary War veteran, Benjamin Perce, and William Whiting, all of whom arrived on December 27 or December 28, 1835 and built a cabin; Moses Smith and Whiting had been in the area previously, making a so-called "jackknife claim" (carving their names and the date on trees in the vicinity), on December 15, 1835. Other settlers arrived in the spring and summer of 1836, mostly from New England; they named their settlement Foxville. In 1836, the residents of what was then known as Foxville unanimously decided to change their settlement's name to "Burlington", after Burlington, Vermont; Foxville continued to be used, however, until the name was officially changed on July 15, 1839.

Until that time, Foxville had been in Michigan Territory; on July 3, 1836, however, the act ofCongress organizing the Wisconsin Territory went into effect. When counties were created, Foxville fell within the borders of Milwaukee County, which at that time included, the present-day county of Racine. On December 7, 1836, Racine County, containing Foxville, was separated from the rest of Milwaukee County. Foxville became the official name of the settlement on March 21, 1837, when the first post office was created, with Moses Smith as the first postmaster. In May 1837, a sawmill, the first frame building in the settlement, and a dam on the Fox River were completed.

On January 2, 1838, Rochester township, which included Foxville, as well as all of Racine County west of Mount Pleasant was established. On March 9, 1839, Burlington township, including at the time what is now the Town of Dover and much of Brighton, was separated from Rochester.

Burlington was a New England settlement. The original founders of Burlington consisted entirely of settlers from New England. These people were "Yankee's", that is to say they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the Erie Canal. When they arrived in what is now Burlington there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie, the New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of theirYankee New England values, such as a passion for education, establishing many schools as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church though some were Episcopalian. Due to the second Great Awakening some of them had converted to Methodism before moving to what is now Burlington. Culturally Burlington, like much of Wisconsin, would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture for most of its early history.

From 1844 to 1850, the town of Voree, just to the west of Burlington, was the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), one of many sects founded during the succession crisis following the death of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr.. Although Strang's group relocated to Beaver Island, Michigan in 1850, his parents remained in Voree. After Strang was shot by two disgruntled members in 1856, he was taken to Voree where he died. He is buried in a cemetery in Burlington. Strang's church still maintains a congregation in Voree, and the local historical society has erected a monument to the Mormon settlement there.

Burlington was incorporated as a village in 1886; in 1900 it became a city.

Brewing history

• Burlington Brewing Company
• Van Merritt Brewing Company
• Wisconsin Brewing Company

Finks and Uhen Brewery

(See Wisconsin breweries)

Geography 

Burlington is located at 42°40′40″N 88°16′41″W (42.677945, -88.278279).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.73 square miles (20.02 km²), of which, 7.50 square miles (19.42 km²) is land and 0.23 square miles (0.60 km²) is water.

The community of Voree, home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), is located just outside the city.

Law and government

Burlington has a mayor-council form of government, with a city administrator. The mayor is the city's chief executive, responsible for seeing that state law and city ordinances are enforced. Mayors are elected to two-year terms;^[20] the current mayor is Bob Miller.

The Common Council is composed of eight aldermen, two in each of Burlington's four districts. In every year's spring election, one alderman is elected from each district. Aldermen serve two-year terms.

The city administrator is appointed by the Common Council to oversee the routine operations of the city.

As of 2004, the Burlington Police Department employed 32 full-time personnel; the Fire Department employed four full-time personnel and 50 volunteer firefighters

Education

The first school classes in Burlington were taught in 1838. One of the first teachers was William P. Lyon, later a Justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. The settlement's first schoolhouse was built in 1839, and classes were taught there irregularly for the next 15 years. An act of theWisconsin Legislature in 1857 incorporated the Burlington Union School District of Racine County. In 1858 and 1859, a schoolhouse was built for the district's use. Now called Lincoln School (Burlington, Wisconsin), the building is now used as the headquarters for the Burlington Area School District. Early quarrels about the management and costs of the school led to the creation of two rival school boards, each claiming to be legal; a new board gained control in 1861, and lasting stability came to the system in 1872.

Burlington is now served by the Burlington Area School District. The district has eight schools, six in Burlington. A campus of the Gateway Technical College is also in Burlington.

Private and parochial schools 

Burlington's first private school, the Burlington Academy, was founded in 1844 as a result of dissatisfaction with the other schools operating at the time. One of its early teachers was John F. Potter, later a Congressman from Wisconsin.^[28] The Burlington Academy no longer operates.

Private and parochial schools in Burlington include:

• St. Charles Elementary School
• St. John's Lutheran School
• St. Mary's Elementary School
• Catholic Central High School

Burlington is the home of the 2007−2008 Capuchin Franciscan Novitiate for Friars in Formation for religious life.

Culture and points of interest

Burlington is nicknamed "Chocolate City, U.S.A.", because of the Nestlé chocolate factory built there in 1966. It is also home to an annual ChocolateFest on Memorial Day weekend.

Since 1929, Burlington has also been the home of the Burlington Liars' Club.

The Malt House Theater, the building being the former home of the Finke-Uhen Brewery, is located along the Fox River within the city of Burlington, and the theater is home to the community theater company Haylofters, Inc. Haylofters has been in continuous operation since 1932.

Sports and recreation

The Burlington Little League was named District 6 All-Stars, state majors champions in 2010 and 2013.

In 2006, the semi-pro football team, the Burlington Blue Devils, was established.

Home of the Burlington Barons, a semi-pro baseball team that is part of the Land O'Lakes League Southwest Division. They play at Beaumont Field.

Anglers enjoy fishing on Echo Lake and on the Fox River.

Images 

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  Library

 
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  Post office

 
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  Burlington History Museum

 
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  Masonic Lodge

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington,_Wisconsin

Classifieds in Burlington