Burlington is a city in Racine and

Walworth Walworth ( ) is a district of South London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross. Major streets in Walworth include the ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, with the majority of the city located in Racine County. The population of the city was 11,047 as of the 2020 census.

History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the area, Native American mounds were constructed near the present location of Burlington. A small

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

village stood in what became Burlington. The earliest certain European presence in what became Burlington was in the fall of 1799, when a group of French explorers and missionaries led by Francis Morgan de Vereceones made a

portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...

from the Root River to the Fox River, reaching the Fox at approximately Burlington's present location. The first European settlers in Burlington were Moses Smith (the son of a Revolutionary War veteran) and William Whiting. Smith and Whiting had been in the area previously, making a so-called "jackknife claim" to the land (carving their names and the date on trees in the vicinity) on December 15, 1835. The men then left the encampment and returned with Lemuel Smith (Moses' brother) as well as Benjamin Perce, another member of the group. The four men searched for arable land and built a cabin on the east side of the Fox River (on what is now Wehmhoff-Jucker Park.) Other settlers arrived in the spring and summer of 1836, mostly from

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

; they named their settlement Foxville. That year, the residents of Foxville unanimously decided to change their settlement's name to "Burlington" after the city

Burlington, Vermont Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is the List of municipalities in Vermont, most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat, seat of Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County. It is located south of the Can ...

; the Foxville name continued to be used, however, until that name was officially changed on July 15, 1839. Since its establishment, Foxville had been in

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

. On July 3, 1836, however, an act of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

organizing the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

went into effect, and Foxville fell within the borders of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Territory, which at that time included the present-day county of Racine. The two counties separated on December 7, 1836, and Foxville ended up in Racine County. The first

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

in Foxville was created on March 21, 1837, with Moses Smith, one of the four founders of the city, as the first postmaster. In May 1837, a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

(the first

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

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 Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

were separated from Rochester. Settlers were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

. When they originally arrived in the area, there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie. The settlers laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their "Yankee" New England values, such as staunch support for

abolitionism Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. ...

as well as a passion for education and the subsequent construction of many schools. They were mostly members of the

Congregationalist Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...

, though some were

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

. Due to the

second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the late 18th to early 19th century in the United States. It spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching and sparked a number of reform movements. Revivals were a k ...

some of them had converted to

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

before moving to what is now Burlington. Burlington, like much of

, would be culturally similar to early New England for most of its early history. Burlington was incorporated as a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in 1886; in 1900 it became a city.

Geography and climate

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Burlington is located at (42.677945, −88.278279).

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 10,464 people, 4,240 households, and 2,702 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 4,529 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.9%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 3.4% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 8.6% of the population. There were 4,240 households, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 9,936 people, 3,838 households, and 2,590 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 3,976 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.89%

, 0.37%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.12% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 2.21% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.65% of the population. There were 1,838 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were

living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $43,365, and the median income for a family was $54,045. Males had a median income of $38,471 versus $25,082 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $21,789. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Burlington has a mayor-council form of government, with a city administrator. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

is the city's

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

, responsible for seeing that

state law State law refers to the law of a federated state, as distinguished from the law of the federation of which it is a part. It is used when the constituent components of a federation are themselves called states. Federations made up of provinces, cant ...

and

city ordinance A local ordinance is a law issued by a local government such as a municipality, county, parish, prefecture, or the like. Hong Kong In Hong Kong, all laws enacted by the territory's Legislative Council remain to be known as ''Ordinances'' () ...

s are enforced. Mayors are elected to two-year terms; the current mayor is Jon Schultz. The Common Council is composed of eight

aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...

, 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. , the Burlington Police Department employed 17 full-time officers. As of 2020, the Fire Department employed firefighters/EMT's to staff the station full-time, and had over 30 volunteer firefighters/EMT's.

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

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

house was built in 1839, and classes were taught there irregularly for the next 15 years. An act of the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

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 board A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

s, each claiming to be legal; a new board gained control in 1861, and lasting stability came to the system in 1872. Burlington is served by the Burlington Area School District. The district has eight schools, six in Burlington. Elementary schools include: Cooper Elementary, Waller Elementary, Winkler Elementary and Lyons Center. Middle schools include: Karcher Middle School and Dyer Intermediate. A campus of the Gateway Technical College is also in Burlington.

Private and parochial schools

Burlington's first

private school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

, 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.

Culture

The Malt House Theater, along the Fox River in Burlington, is home to the community theater company Haylofters, which has been in continuous operation since 1932.

Media

Burlington Standard Press Building Wisconsin

Newspapers

The first

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

in the Burlington area was the ''Voree Herald'', published in Voree in January 1846 by

James Strang James Jesse Strang (March 21, 1813 – July 9, 1856) was an American religious leader, politician and self-proclaimed monarch. He served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1853 until his assassination. In 1844, he said he ...

, the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite). Its primary purpose was to inform his congregation about events in the wider

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by ...

. The paper was renamed the ''Gospel Herald'' in September 1847, and continued to be published until 1850, when most of the church relocated to Beaver Island in

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

. The first newspaper published in Burlington intended for a general audience was the ''Weekly Burlington Gazette'', first published on April 8, 1858. The newspaper was strongly Republican and continued until December 11, 1860, when its owner moved to

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. From 1860 until 1863, no newspaper was published in Burlington. On October 14, 1863, the ''Burlington Standard'', another Republican newspaper, was founded. In 1881, the paper became largely nonpartisan, but in April 1886, with a new owner, the paper was renamed the ''Standard Democrat'' and became strongly pro- Democrat. From 1896 to 1911, the ''Standard Democrat'' was also published in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

under the name ''Der Standard Demokrat''. The ''Burlington Democrat'', a newspaper with Democratic leanings, was first published in 1880 as a counter to the Republican ''Burlington Standard''. Its name was soon changed to the ''Burlington Free Press'', and its leanings changed to Republican at about the same time the ''Standard'' became the ''Standard Democrat''. The weekly '' Burlington Standard Press'' is currently published in Burlington; the daily '' Racine Journal Times'', '' Kenosha News'', and ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...

'' are also available in the area.

Radio

WBSD (89.1 FM) is a high school radio station owned by the Burlington Area School District and operated by the staff and students of Burlington High School. Burlington is also served by radio stations

WIIL WIIL (95.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Union Grove, Wisconsin. The station serves Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kenosha (its original city of license), Racine, Wisconsin, Racine, the s ...

(95.1 FM) and WLKG (96.1 FM), as well as stations from Milwaukee and Racine.

Television

Around 1989 Win-TV (now WIN Media, Inc.

was created by current owner and President Shad Branen. According to their web site they began as a producer of local news and sports programming televised throughout Southeastern Wisconsin on CNN Headline News. Since then their services have expanded to include an array of multimedia services for their clients.

Transportation

Railroads

The first

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

to pass through Burlington was built in 1855 by the Racine, Janesville and Mississippi Railroad Company. Its construction nearly bankrupted Racine. The line was later reorganized as the Western Union Railroad and eventually incorporated into the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Company. In 1856 Burlington invested in the Fox River Valley Railroad of Wisconsin, a planned railroad that would have started in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, connected to the railroad already in Burlington, and continued on to the Fox River Valley Railroad of Illinois. The roadbed was built, but because of the failure of the company, rails were never laid.

Airport

Burlington Municipal Airport (KBUU) serves Burlington and surrounding communities.

Notable people

* Alma M. Aldrich, Wisconsin State Representative * Maurice L. Ayers, politician * Caleb P. Barns, lawyer * Charles Edward Barns, writer * Ginger Beaumont, professional baseball player * Frank Cannella, sometimes referred to as the "father of the infomercial" industry *

William Everett Chipman William Everett Chipman (September 27, 1822 – September 30, 1893) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. Chipman was born in Brockville, Canada, Upper Canada and lived there until he was 12. He moved to Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ...

, state senator * Henry Allen Cooper, Congressman from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district * Leander F. Frisby, lawyer *

Ed Garvey Edward Robert Garvey (April 18, 1940 – February 22, 2017) was an American lawyer, activist, and Democratic politician from Wisconsin. He was executive director of the National Football League Players Association (players' union) from 1971 to ...

, lawyer, politician, executive director of the

National Football League Players Association The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the labor unions in the United States, labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by executive directo ...

* Jared Hornbeek, bassist/musician of alternative rock band, The Unlikely Candidates *

Gregory Itzin Gregory Martin Itzin (April 20, 1948 – July 8, 2022) was an American character actor of film and television best known for his role as U.S. President Charles Logan in the action thriller series '' 24''. Early life Itzin was born in Washing ...

, the actor who portrays fictional president Charles Logan of TV's '' 24'', was a former resident * Kelly Kahl, television executive * Bill Kazmaier, three-time

World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decemb ...

winner;

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

commentator on ''World's Strongest Man'' broadcasts * John Longstreth, drummer of the technical death metal band Origin * William P. Lyon, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court * Paul Miller,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player * George C. Mathews, member of first

Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...

* Ernst Merton, Wisconsin State Senator and lawyer * Cloyd A. Porter, Wisconsin State Representative * Edward F. Rakow, Wisconsin State Representative * Anthony B. Rewald, legislator * Davis C. Rohr, U.S. Air Force Major General * Tony Romo, quarterback of the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

, attended Burlington High School * Braggo Roth,

player * Frank Roth,

player * Francis Reuschlein, Wisconsin State Representative * Henry C. Schadeberg, U.S. Representative * James T. Schuerman, Roman Catholic bishop * Bob Steele,

player *

, founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) from Voree; lawyer and member of the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...

* Chris Vos, singer/musician of Grammy-nominated alternative rock band, The Record Company * Robin Vos, Wisconsin State Representative and 75th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly * Mary Wagner, legislator and jurist'Wisconsin Blue Book 1981-1982, Biographical Sketch of Mary K. Wagner, pg. 65

Images

File:Burlington Wisconsin Library.jpg, Library File:Burlington Wisconsin Post Office.jpg, Post office File:Burlington Wisconsin History Museum.jpg, Burlington History Museum File:Burlington, Wisconsin Masonic Lodge Number 28.jpg, Masonic Lodge

References

* *

External links

City of Burlington

Burlington Chamber of Commerce

Burlington Library
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Racine County, Wisconsin Cities in Walworth County, Wisconsin Populated places established in 1835 1835 establishments in Michigan Territory