Burlington, Wisconsin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Burlington
—  City  —
City of Burlington
Nickname: Chocolate City, U.S.A.
Motto: The town with Tall Tales
Location of Burlington within Wisconsin
Coordinates: 42°40′40″N 88°16′41″W / 42.67778, -88.27806
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Racine, Walworth
Incorporated (village)	1886
Incorporated (city)	1900
Named for	Burlington, Vermont
Government
- Type	Mayor-council
- Mayor	Bob Miller
- Administrator	Kevin Lahner
- Common Council	8 aldermen from 4 districts
Area
- Total	6.2 sq mi (16 km²)
- Land	5.9 sq mi (15.4 km²)
- Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)  3.25%
Population (2000)
- Total	9,963
- Density	1,606.9/sq mi (622.7/km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	53105
Area code(s)	262
Website: http://www.burlington-wi.gov/

Burlington is a city mostly in Racine County,^[1] but partially in Walworth County, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.^[2] The population was 9,936 at the 2000 census; as of 2006, its population is estimated to be 10,485 people, making it the 84th largest city or village in Wisconsin by population.^[2] The city is located mostly within the Town of Burlington.

[edit] History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the area, Native American mounds were constructed in what is now Burlington. However, there was no Native American settlement within the current city, although around 1830 a small Potawatomi village stood somewhere in what is now the Town of Burlington.^[3]

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 a portage from the Root River to the Fox River, reaching the Fox at about Burlington's present location.^[4]

The earliest 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 either December 27 or December 28, 1835^[5] and built a cabin;^[6] 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.^[5][7] Other settlers arrived in the spring and summer of 1836, mostly from New England;^[8] they named their settlement Foxville.^[7] The residents of Foxville reportedly decided unanimously to change their settlement's name to "Burlington", after Burlington, Vermont, in 1836;^[9] Foxville continued to be used, however, until the name was officially changed on July 15, 1839.^[7]

Up until this point, Foxville had been located in Michigan Territory; on July 3, 1836, however, the act of Congress organizing the Wisconsin Territory went into effect. Counties were created, and Foxville fell within the borders of Milwaukee County, which at that time included, among others, 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; Moses Smith was the first postmaster. In May of 1837, a sawmill, the first frame building in the settlement, as well as a dam on the Fox River were completed.^[10]

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.^[10]

Burlington was incorporated as a village in 1886; in 1900 it became a city.^[7]

[edit] Geography

Burlington is located at 42°40′40″N, 88°16′41″W (42.677945, -88.278279).^[11]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.0 km²), of which, 6.0 square miles (15.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (3.25%) is water.

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

[edit] Climate

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[13] of 2000, there were 9,936 people, 3,838 households, and 2,590 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,667.9 people per square mile (643.7/km²). There were 3,976 housing units at an average density of 667.4/sq mi (257.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.89% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 2.21% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.65% of the population.

There were 3,838 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples 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 for the city was $21,789. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Law and government

Burlington has a mayor-council form of government, as well as a city administrator.^[1] The mayor is the city's chief executive, responsible for seeing that state law and city ordinances are enforced.^[14] Mayors are elected to two-year terms;^[15] the current mayor is Bob Miller.^[14]

The Common Council is composed of eight aldermen.^[16] Burlington is divided into four aldermanic districts; in every year's spring election, one alderman is elected from each district. An alderman serves a two-year term.^[16]

The city administrator is appointed by the Common Council to oversee the routine operations of the city. The current administrator is Kevin Lahner, who was appointed in January 2008.^[17]

As of 2004, the Burlington Police Department employed 32 full-time personnel; the Fire Department employed 4 full-time personnel and 50 volunteer firefighters.^[1]

[edit] Education

The first schoolclasses in Burlington, at the time called Foxville, were taught in 1838; one of the first teachers was William Penn Lyon, later a Justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. The settlement's first schoolhouse was built in 1839; classes were taught there irregularly for the next fifteen years.^[18] An act of the Wisconsin 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.^[19] This schoolhouse, now called, Lincoln School, still stands, and is 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.^[20]

Burlington is currently served by the Burlington Area School District.^[21] The district has six schools in Burlington, out of eight districtwide.^[22] A campus of the Gateway Technical College is also in Burlington.^[1]

[edit] Private and Parochial schools

Burlington's first private school, the Burlington Academy, was created in 1844 due to disatisfaction with the other schools existing at the time; one of its early teachers was John F. Potter, later a Congressman from Wisconsin.^[23] The Burlington Academy no longer operates.

Current private and parochial schools in Burlington include:

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

Burlington is the home of the 2007–2008 Capuchin Franciscan (Roman Catholic) Novitiate for Friars in Formation for religious life.

[edit] Culture

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

[edit] Media

The first newspaper in Burlington was the Voree Herald, published in Voree in January 1846 by James Strang, 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 paper was renamed the Gospel Herald in September 1847, and continued to be pulished until 1850, when most of the church relocated to Beaver Island in Lake Michigan.^[24]

The first newspaper published in Burlington proper intended for a general audience was the Weekly Burlington Gazette, first published on April 8, 1858; the newspaper was strongly Republican^[25] and continued until December 11, 1860, when its owner moved to Houston, Texas.^[25]

From 1860 until 1863, no newspaper was published in Burlington.^[25] On October 14, 1863, the Burlington Standard, another Republican newspaper, was first published.^[24] In 1881, the paper became largely nonpartisan,^[24] but in April 1886, with a new owner, the paper was renamed the Standard Democrat and became strongly pro-Democrat.^[26] From 1896 to 1911, the Standard Democrat was also published in German under the name Der Standard Demokrat.^[26]

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.^[26]

The weekly Burlington Standard Press is currently published in Burlington;^[1] the daily Racine Journal-Times^[1] and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are also common.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Major highways

The following highways pass through or near Burlington:^[1]

[edit] Interstate highways

• I-43 is eleven miles west of the city.
• I-94 is twenty miles east of the city.

[edit] Federal highways

• US 12 is ten miles southwest of the city.

[edit] Wisconsin highways

• WIS 11
• WIS 36
• WIS 50 is nine miles south of the city.
• WIS 83
• WIS 142

[edit] County highways

• WIS County P
• WIS County W

[edit] Railroads

The first railroad to pass through Burlington was built in 1855 by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Company, which at the time was called the Racine, Jainsville and Mississippi Railroad Company. The construction of this railroad nearly bankrupted Racine.^[27]

In 1856, Burlington invested in the Fox River Valley Railroad of Wisconsin, a planned railroad which would have started in Milwaukee, connected to the railroad already in Burlington, and continued to hook up to the Fox River Valley Railroad of Illinois. The roadbed was built, but rails were never laid, due to the failure of the company.^[27]

The railroad passing through Burlington is currently operated by the Canadian National Railway; it carries freight trains only.^[1]

[edit] Airports

Burlington Municipal Airport is in Burlington.^[1]

[edit] Notable residents

Notable people who were born in or resided in Burlington include:

• LeRoy Anderson, first World War II draftee to receive the Distinguished Service Cross; captured by Japanese forces at the Battle of Bataan^[28]
• Ginger Beaumont, first player to bat in the first World Series
• Henry Allen Cooper, twice Congressman from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district; Burlington's Cooper Elementary School is named for him^[29]
• Gregory Itzin, the actor who portrays fictional president Charles Logan of TV's 24, was a former resident of this town
• Bill Kazmaier, three time World's Strongest Man winner; he has also appeared on ESPN as a commentator on World's Strongest Man broadcasts
• Caitlin Morrall, Miss Wisconsin USA 2007
• William Penn Lyon, one of Burlington's first teachers; later a Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court^[18]
• Reuben Marti, a Lutheran pastor and, with Bruce Thompson, a founder of the Lutheran Pioneers^[30]
• John Potter, practiced law in Burlington and taught at its first private school; later Congressman from Wisconsin's 1st congressional District^[23][31]
• Tony Romo, current starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys
• James Strang, led the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) from Voree, on the outskirts of Burlington^[32]
• Bruce Thompson, with Reuben Marti, a founder of the Lutheran Pioneers^[30]

[edit] References

General

• Meurer, Fran; Don Reed (1991). Burlington, Wisconsin: The First 150+ Years. Burlington, Wisconsin: Burlington Historical Society. 

Specific

[edit] External links

• City government
• Burlington Chamber of Commerce
• Burlington Historical Society
• Burlington Area School District
• Burlington Library
• Burlington Liars' Club
• Burlington Linux Computer Club
• Burlington Area Progressives
• Center for the Arts Technology and Health Education

• Burlington, Wisconsin is at coordinates 42°40′41″N 88°16′42″W / 42.677945, -88.278279 (Burlington, Wisconsin)Coordinates: 42°40′41″N 88°16′42″W / 42.677945, -88.278279 (Burlington, Wisconsin)

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Racine County, Wisconsin County seat: Racine Cities Burlington | Racine Towns Burlington | Dover | Norway | Raymond | Rochester | Waterford | Yorkville Villages Caledonia | Elmwood Park | Mount Pleasant | North Bay | Rochester | Sturtevant | Union Grove | Waterford | Wind Point CDPs Bohners Lake | Browns Lake | Eagle Lake | Franksville | Waterford North | Wind Lake Unincorporated community Kansasville

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Walworth County, Wisconsin County seat: Elkhorn Cities Burlington | Delavan | Elkhorn | Lake Geneva | Whitewater Towns Bloomfield | Darien | Delavan | East Troy | Geneva | La Grange | Lafayette | Linn | Lyons | Richmond | Sharon | Spring Prairie | Sugar Creek | Troy | Walworth | Whitewater Villages Darien | East Troy | Fontana-on-Geneva Lake | Genoa City | Mukwonago | Sharon | Walworth | Williams Bay CDPs Como | Delavan Lake | Pell Lake | Potter Lake | Powers Lake Unincorporated communities Allen's Grove | Honey Creek | Springfield | Voree | Zenda