 Burlington, Iowa - A Rich History
|
|
|
Burlington has roots dating back to 1805. It is located on
the west bank of the Mississippi River with bluffs on either side of what is now downtown. The Sac and Fox Indians called this area "Shoquoquon",
meaning Flint Hills, because of its abundance of flint gathering sites. |
| There is a rich native American history to our area and it is easy to see why. One can still find flint embedded in the bluffs. |
| After the
Black Hawk War of 1832, the Iowa Territory was open for settlement and Burlington became
its first Capital in 1838. As the capital, Burlington played an active
role in the early development of the region. The pioneer settlement was able to attract
water and rail traffic. Burlington was becoming a key river crossing. |
 |
| The first railroad in
Burlington opened in 1855 to East Burlington (now Gulfport, IL) across
the river.
By 1864 the track stretched all the way from Quincy in the South to Chicago
in the North and
adopted the name, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The
CB&Q was one of the original railroads that make, what is today
known as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. |
 |
A single-track railroad bridge
across the Mississippi River was opened in 1868, linking Burlington
proper with the rest of the CB&Q. |
| The original bridge was
replaced by the current double track bridge in 1892. A little known fact is the "Burlington" in
Burlington Northern Santa Fe comes from our very own Burlington, Iowa!
Click on the BNSF logo and see for yourself.
Our little frontier settlement was able to capitalize on these transportation assets to
develop industry and grow. At the turn of the century, Burlington was a boon river town, with all
the riffraff and character of the late 1800's. There are plenty of
colorful stories to tell, but not here.
|
Burlington Today
 |
There is
so much about this small river town that appeals to us, it would be
impossible to describe everything here. But the quality of life,
education, natural environment and neighborly atmosphere is tops. Here
we have a chance to raise our children in a friendly, nourishing
environment that will teach them the importance of kindness and
community. Truly, in our minds this is what it's all about! |
Among the jewels of the Burlington area are
its many parks. Here are a few pictures of the more scenic parks around
town.
 | The largest, Crapo Park [pronounced Cray-po] includes flower
gardens and a respectable arboretum. |
|
| Geode State park has miles of hiking trails and some decent
picnicking, camping and fishing around the ? acre lake. |
| Mosquito Park overlooks the river and is named for its size. |
| Snake Alley is the "crookedest street in the world"
according to Ripley's believe it or not. It is also the
memorable part of our Memorial Day Criterium bike race. |
|
|
| The nature center at Starr's Cave teaches environmental knowledge
and responsibility. A valuable educational experience for our
future. |
|
Our Home
| We purchased our house three days after we arrived in town. A
spontaneous act but a lucky find for sure. The house is
comfortable and warm and has everything a family could ask for.
Our neighborhood is full of kids and great people. Close
friends watch out for each other and help when they can. |
|
 |
In our backyard, we have built an
ice skating rink in winter and a pool and garden in summer.
Little by little, our house has become a home. Now, we have guest rooms for
visitors too! So, plan a visit and stay for a spell. We'd love
to share our community with you. |
  
|
