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    Burlington
    Burlington
    Burlington
    Ebook173 pages59 minutes

    Burlington

    By Robert J. Costa

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    About this ebook

    Drawing upon the John Fogelberg collection, the Burlington Historical Commission collection, and the Crawford collection of photographs, this book presents a vision of Burlington that few will recognize.


    Known as Shawshin by the Native Americans who originally inhabited the region, the town of Burlington has a rich history dating to Colonial and Revolutionary War days. In Burlington, you will see the people, places, and events that are known today only as legends or place-names. Meet Marshall Simonds, whose generous gift in 1905 gave the town a beautiful park and Burlington Common, as well as its first high school. Experience how townspeople used to celebrate the Fourth of July with a large bonfire on the hill at Simonds Park. Learn of mysteries and disasters, such as the collapse of the parsonage building on the town common after a move in 1956. Explore the historic homes and the buildings and early businesses, which feature scenes from the Reed Ham Works to aerial views of the emerging Burlington Industrial Park. See the images of the Walker, Crawford, and Skelton farms, which showcase the town's fast-disappearing agricultural history.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateAug 6, 2001
    ISBN9781439611258
    Burlington
    Author

    Robert J. Costa

    A student and colleague of historian John Fogelberg, author Robert J. Costa has lived in Burlington for thirty-eight years. Costa has taught American and local history at Burlington High School for the past twenty-eight years. He attended Burlington schools and served on the Burlington Bicentennial Commission from 1996 to 1999, helping with Heritage Day on the Burlington Common and other historical projects.

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      Book preview

      Burlington - Robert J. Costa

      line.

      INTRODUCTION

      The town of Burlington, incorporated on February 28, 1799, has a rich and varied history that reflects American history from its Colonial roots, to Revolutionary War days, to the nation’s rich agricultural and architectural heritage.

      In 1641, Increase Winn was born in a dwelling that stood on the site of the present-day John Winn house, located on the corner of Winn and Wyman Streets. The Winn family played notable roles in the town’s and state’s history through the early 20th century. Another early family of merit and distinction throughout three centuries is the Wyman family. In 1666—1667, brothers Francis and John Wyman established one of the earliest farms in this area. The Wymans and Winns both served their town in the opening events of the American Revolution and through the quest for incorporation.

      During the first days of the American Revolution, residents of the Burlington area played host to a series of little-known but historically significant events. In 1775, Burlington was a distinct but not separate part of the town of Woburn. Considered the Second Precinct of Woburn from 1730 to 1799, Burlington was incorporated as a town on February 28, 1799. On April 18 and 19, 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams made two visits to the Second Precinct while on their way from the Provincial Congress. On April 19, 1775, local legend holds that Sylvanus Wood, a farmer and militiaman of the Second Precinct of Woburn, held British soldiers captive on the farm of local minuteman Capt. James Reed. It has also been documented that Dea. Samuel Walker hid the valuable contents of the Harvard College library in the squash house on the family farm.

      In the 19th century, Burlington was known for its agricultural excellence, developing large farms, including the Walker, Wyman, Skelton, McIntire, and Reed farms. The Reed Ham Works established a wide market for its specialty (smoked hams), and Grand View Farm was a thriving dairy business by c. 1900. Burlington was known for its expansive and festive agricultural fairs held yearly on Burlington’s town common, celebrating the town’s major contributions to agricultural excellence. Through the generous gift of Marshall Simonds, who died in 1905, Burlington received acres of land for use as a public park and funds for a new town hall and high school as Burlington entered its third century.

      In 1999, the town celebrated its bicentennial with a yearlong series of activities and events that included the publication of History of Burlington. 1641—1950, by Dunham and Zahora, and the republication of the town history book Burlington: Part of a Greater Chronicle, by Ed Fogelberg, with an afterword by Joan Miles. Through the work of the schools and townspeople, a commemorative photograph booklet was produced and many projects were created. The Burlington Historical Commission promoted a historic house architectural and historical study, which resulted in the publication of a historic house survey that sheds new light on old myths. After years of neglect and disinterest regarding local history and local historical landmarks, a new interest has emerged in the town that seeks to preserve and add to the historical record.

      The photographic series that forms the basis of this book comes from the generous gift collection of longtime Burlington writer, educator, and historian Ed Fogelberg. In 2000, Fogelberg moved from Burlington to Arizona and donated his large collection of photographs and prints to the town. The collection is housed in the Burlington Archives room and represents a vivid portrait of daily life in this small agricultural town in eastern Massachusetts. There are photographs of distinctive houses that no longer stand, public buildings long lost, celebrations, and daily life. The Burlington Historical Commission has also received many donations from private individuals. All these images have contributed to a better understanding of the town’s rich past.

      One

      CELEBRATIONS AND DISASTERS

      Members of the Church of Christ (today’s United Church of Christ Congregational) celebrate the bicentennial of the raising of the Second Parish Meetinghouse. The photograph was taken in 1932 in front of the Marion Tavern. The women in the picture arrived by stagecoach. Shown, from left to right, are Mabel Keating, Mrs. Ralph MacDonald, Evelyn Foster Blake, Helen Maclntire Bussey (only bonnet showing), Lucy McCarthy Fiske, Alice Foster, Gove Sleeper (innkeeper), ? Wyler (GAR), Otis Simonds (son of Marshall Simonds), William F. Cook (GAR), Frank Smith (GAR), and ? Maloney.

      (Courtesy of the Burlington Archives, No. 34.)

      Townspeople pose at the banquet tables in front of the second town hall during the Welcome Home Jubilee on July 12, 1919. The jubilee was held to celebrate the return of Burlington troops from the battlefields of World War I. Aside from the townwide banquet, the day featured band concerts, athletic competitions, and patriotic speeches. Each veteran was awarded a bronze medal that was engraved with the town seal.

      (Courtesy of the Burlington Archives, No. 414.)

      Gathered in front of Burlington’s second town hall on Center Street, children and adults watch the conclusion of a road race during the Welcome Home Jubilee of 1919. Notice the house and orchards of the Blodgett farm, now the location of the Colonial Building at 35 Center Street. The house was built by Albert Wood sometime before 1851 and was once the home of William E. Carter, who ran a shoe heel factory on Cambridge Street. The second town hall was built in 1915. It was demolished in 1969 to make room for the new police station.

      (Courtesy of the Burlington Archives, No. 413.)

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