Burlington City Map Poster

About Burlington

History Burlington takes its name from the English east coast port of Bridlington, in Yorkshire. Burlington was established on May 14, 1833 by Quakers who had settled just north of Burlington Bay in Humboldt County. The bay was named for frigate captain William Holmes McGarry (1780–1837), who first surveyed the area for the U.S. government during a voyage to Fort Armstrong and Rock Island, Illinois on Lake Michigan with Stephen Harriman Long (1784–1864) and John James Audubon (1785-1851). In 1834 they assigned land claims to their followers; Edward Gantt claimed 1½ acres near Black Hawk Creek along with others soon after followed suit making settlement possible.[3] During that same year Milton Jansen established a trading post at what is now known as Dutchman's Landing.