Burlington Island is a 300-acre (1.2 km2) island located in the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the United States. Burlington Island is officially part of the City of Burlington, New Jersey. It is uninhabited scenic landmark in the Delaware River. Burlington Island Lake, which is one of the largest lakes-within-an-island-within-a-river.
Colonial era
The island is the site of the first European settlement in what would become New Jersey.Board of Island The indigenous population had known this island as Matennecunk. In 1624, the Dutch established a settlement on the island, which they had named Verhulsten, in honor of the first Director of New Netherland. The factorij, or trading post, was known as Fort Wilhelmus, and one of many to be built along the river which comprised the European colonies of New Netherland and New Sweden.
Though relations between the Lenni Lenape and the colonists were generally peaceful, Burlington Island witnessed one of the few murders of that era. Two Dutchmen were slaughtered by Tashiowycan and Wyannattamo.Burlington Island. Accessed November 6, 2007. The Lenape then promised to kill the braves responsible; the murder is the first recorded in New Jersey's history. Tour Burlington
Burlington Island came under the jurisdiction of The Board of Island Mangers in 1682.Board of Island The Board of Island Mangers is a trust created to create funds to educate the youth of the city of Burlington. [1]
Burlington Island Park
Burlington Island Park was an amusement park on the island between 1900-1934. in the Delaware River between Burlington, NJ., and Bristol, Pa. This is just northeast of Philadelphia, Pa. It was also known as Island Beach Park.
Never having any automobile access, the park has always been accessible by footbridge or ferry only.
Around 1900, the island was used as a family picnic "resort". People would arrive on the island by boat and picnic among the trees on tables and in a large pavilion.
In the early 1900's, Burlington Park had a midway, circle swing, and sandy beaches for swimming. There was a bath house for the swimmers and an ice cream stand.
In 1910, they added a carousel. It was a beautiful mixed Dentzel machine. It spun under a large canopy.
In 1917, George Bassler and Robert Merkel purchased the park. They added a giant roller coaster called "The Greyhound" and built an elaborate amusement park. They introduced a ferris wheel, along with an "ocean wave" and boat swings. People came by the thousands, by steamboat or train, then ferried to the island.
The rides and attractions were numerous. There were the Steeplechase, Tunnel of Love, Tumblebug, Aeroplanes, Dodge-em, bumper scooters, caterpillar, a fun house, a merry-go-round, and a miniature railroad. There were a fish pond, a rifle range, air guns, a pony ride, and a ring-a-cane. For other entertainment, there was baseball, a dance hall, and bingo.
At this time, the park covered almost 100 acres of the 400 acre island. But it was to last only 11 years.
In 1928, a fire broke out at the park. It started one morning at 2am. Since all the fire-fighting equipment had to be ferried across the river from Bristol, Pa., most of the amusements burned to the ground by the time the equipment arrived.
After the fire, Robert Merkel sold the property to the VanSciver Sand and Gravel Co. (later to become the Penn-Warner Cement Co.)
The ruins of the park stood on the island until 1934 when a second fire destroyed what was left.
In 1955, the Warner Co. started to dredge the sand and gravel from the park area of the island. By 1969, there was nothing left of the former amusement park site but a 100-acre lagoon.
The carousel still exists today. It is owned by Dr. Floyd L. Moreland of Seaside Heights, NJ. And it still spins, under the same canopy, on Casino Pier in Seaside Heights.
