Burlington Island facts for kids
Burlington Island is a 300-acre (1.2 km2) island in the Delaware River. It sits between Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the United States. Even though it's in the middle of the river, Burlington Island is officially part of the city of Burlington in Burlington County, New Jersey. It's a beautiful, quiet place and nobody lives there. There's also a big artificial lake on the island called Burlington Island Lake.
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Early History of Burlington Island
The native Lenape people called this island Matennecunk. In 1624, a Dutch explorer named Cornelius Mey started the first European settlement in what would become New Jersey right here. The Dutch called the island Hooghe Eylandt, which means "High Island."
Later, a trading post called Fort Wilhelmus was built on the island. It was named after Willem Verhulst, who was the second director of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. The Dutch West India Company first thought about making Burlington Island the main headquarters for their new colony. However, in 1626, Peter Minuit decided to move the main base to Manhattan Island. The trading post was then moved further south to a place that became Fort Nassau.
Fun Times at Island Beach Amusement Park
From 1900 to 1917, the lower part of Burlington Island was a popular spot for picnics and swimming. People loved to visit! In 1917, an exciting place called Island Beach Amusement Park opened on the island. It quickly became a popular attraction for people from all around the area. Sadly, fires destroyed the amusement park in the 1920s and 1930s. After that, the southern part of the island was sold to different private owners, but their big plans for development never happened.
A Plane Crash in 1925
On June 13, 1925, a US Navy pilot named Lieutenant Frank E. White was flying his De Havilland DH.4B fighter plane. He was on his way to Mitchel Field on Long Island, New York. Suddenly, his engine started having problems.
Lieutenant White tried to land his plane on Burlington Island, which was mostly empty at the time. But as he got closer, his engine completely stopped. He tried to glide the plane down, but he went past the island and crashed into the Delaware River. He was rescued and taken to the hospital. He was badly injured in the crash.
The Burlington Island Trust
Burlington Island has been managed by a special group called The Board of Island Managers since 1682. This Board is part of a trust that was created to help educate the young people of the city of Burlington. It's a very old organization – in fact, it's the longest continuously operating trust board in the entire United States!
How the Island Changed: Industrial Use
In 1953, the ownership of Burlington Island was given to the City of Burlington. This agreement allowed companies to mine sand and gravel from the island. This mining created a large 100 acres (0.40 km2) lagoon on the island, which is now known as Burlington Island Lake.
