, 1873-01-03
BURLINGTON, IOWA.
uhe business Of the "Orchard
City"
No Railroads and Commercial Ad-
vantages.
4 Rrief Sketch Of Its Early His
tory and Its Future
i. Prospects.


tory and Its Future
Prospects.
foyr,srcase1ce ef Tic Chicago Tr!5ane.
BURLINGTON, Iowa Dec. es, 1s71.
IN the west bank Of the Mississippi River
oss miles north OF st. Louis, 536 miles south O
:. pau1, 2o3 II les by rail from Chicago stand
harrington. the :: .:Orchard City," the scene O
tha t1et permanent settlement in the State O
Iowa.
EARLY HISTORY.
j.. One hundred and ninety~years ago the 24tt
-dsr of last Juno, the present site OF Burling
I'm was first looked upon by white men
IN Mas. 1913, the bold and dadventurous mission
.1e-e1plo1ers, Marquette and Joliet, started
angn tho great Father Of Nators," in tbei1
fr.u canoes. June a, they pnssed the present
fite Of Burlington. The following day, they
landed at the mouth Of the :DesMoines River,
vbare they came upon tho villages Of the Hi
n. who entertained tho fair strangers hospita-
Nr. In 1872, an officer Of tho army suggested
the present site OF Burlington as good location
yor fort To the region OF Southeastern Iowa,
tradition eaye, came the Sac tribe of Indians the
heIored of Black Hawk, from tho great lake
region Of the Northwest. They forced their way
westward, formed Al alliance with the Fo1ee,
md, driving out the Him and Kickapoos, obtain
ID possession Of the whole country. Black Hawk
ruled over the country until 1881. Then c11le
On the s:Black Hawk War; and one of its
resnIts IVES treaty, concluded in September
1ss2, BY which the Sacs and Foxes ceded to tho
Unitad States the :; Black Hawk Purchase" Tho
game fall two hardy pioneers, named Whito and
Tothero, crossed tile river and settled On the
ttsct nov covered by tho town. United States
Dragons, from Rock Island, however, came
down, burned out the settlers, and compelled
them to rccroas the river. Tho following spring
White returned, and located again; and, the
Esme fall, tho town was laid out where is now
located t11e business part Of the thriving young
cits. The next year, the first sctoolhouse WAS
built ]; and in 1885 tie first court was held for
Des Moines County, which then embraced the
eouthc1n half OF tho present State of Iowa. OF
the Grand Jury tlen empanncled, but one now
remains alive,-blind and stricken in years..
In 1886, Burlington was made the Capital OF
Wisconsin Territory: In 1883, Iowa Territory
YES organized, and the Capital continued here.
The old Capitol building still stands. a silent
gentry telling Of tho past. Tho Capitol OF Wis-
oonain, the Capitol OF Iowa, COW occupied as q
church by hourishiug congr egation OF Moth
odis:s long known as CD Zion, - its present is
Sc one of our old landmarks TINT must not be
taken aWny.
The Land Office was established in 1888, with
General A. G, Dodge IS Register, who Is still
one Of our citizens after having long served his
adopted State, as Delegate in Congress, United
States Senator, aud Minister to Spain. At this
time the young. city contained about / ,033 peo- !
pie.
DUB PRESENT.
From this small beginning, Burlington has bs-
come one Of thamost prosperous md healthy cities
Of the Mississippi Valley is located on site Of
commanding beauty. To the north and south OF
the business centre, bold bluffs advance to the
waters edge. To the west, sloping hills mite
the north aud south bluffs inc1osing an irregular
bnziness houses Of city OF over 1o0, 900 people,
To tho north. south, and east OF the basin, rise
ths dweliinga,-many Of them e1celling in
beauty, fnieh and cost, their handsome grounds
displaying the tasto Of their owners. The Limits
extend about three miles up aud down the river:
snd shout q mile and throe-quarters back
Beautiful groves of forest-trees, standing where
the God Of Nature planted them gladden. the
sight: and hundreds OF fine fr1t-orcharde, dis
trbnted through its limits and immediately ad-
joining, have giren it the title OF the " Orchard
City" Tho city limits will probably he extended |
.: an early day, to take ia three Or four staddi-
tons ~ not now included, and containing popu-
! lations ranging from 400 to 600.
proper was between $4,000 and 10000. Since
that time, large increase hes been annually
added, several hundred new dwellings having
been put up the past season; and, with the
population outside, but Immediately adjoining,
tue limits, the present population must consid-
cssby exceed 10000, at q fair and honest eati-
nite.. From ls60 to 1870, the city exhibited
considerably larger percentage Of increase than
NJ other Of the larger Iowa towns. The regis
~ At the late election contained 400 voters.
rF f1F3tE hfs,o T
TIC ssst yeaz, and work ia still being continued.
despite tho cold weather. 4 splendid Opera
hoeae is being built that, when completed, will
be probably the finest on the Upper Mississippi.
COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES.
,, 1he leEee Of Burlington is one OF the best On
the nTer, and, with the completion Of the canal
improvements at the Lower Rapids, its means
o. profitable river trade at all stages of water |
napids.
In railway connections, it is equa1led by but
teF towns in the whole country. It is the
nestefn terminus Of the Chicago, Burlington &
xa1acy the eastern terminus OF the Dur1ing-
!s .on q Aissour River the southern terminus OF
one Of the western termini Of the Toledo, Paorin
d. Bainston n' n0f'seta sonthveste aa5na' now S1
anaer a'a1e, Process, OF construction, and COM
mesea >, about 125 miles into Mis-
ttoo1 g With running arrangements to all points
N Tie Southwest. The Burlington & Keokuk,
~ ~ <as west side Of the river and the Buz1ing-
nn, carthage d Quincy, on tue east side, also
i've ;ase eaer "a northern termni here. In ALL seyen
nee Of railway in active operation, here form
sssaue, end sl1ty-ai1 regular trains arrive and t
s%tpart daily, besides extras daily demanded BY
Ge large freight business !
a addihon 10 the 1oads already in operation. /
1,,l ~ ne Springfield Northwestern, winch viii
1s{ rs sstko The river here, aud what is gene1-
alS s Known as the River Road, on tho wost bank {
~ AAe Al1HElEElDDi. from T11bpnua R1ufh | 4