"Folk of our radio audience, in view
of the fact that this is Burlington hour, it is only proper and fitting that I
tell you a few things about the City Ideal.
"Burlington is a city of some 4,000
odd souls, and by this I do not mean that all the souls of Burlington are odd,
but they are just ordinary individuals like you and me. It is outstanding among
the smaller cities of Wisconsin. Its fame as a business city, manufacturing
center and city of homes extends to all corners of the country. It is located at
the junction of the Fox and White rivers, is in the heart of the lake region of
southeastern Wisconsin, and is noted for its scenic beauty and the beauty of its
surroundings. With all big city conveniences, but without their labor troubles,
and other bad features, Burlington is an ideal location for manufacturing
purposes. It lies in the heart of the great southern Wisconsin dairy district,
and is the trade center for a large and prosperous farming community. Its 4,000
population is composed of thrifty, progressive people, practically all of whom
own their own homes and take pride in keeping them neat and up-to-date. It
offers you a welcome whether you are looking for a home, business location or
factory site.
"Burlington has a bountiful supply of
pure sparkling artesian water, the first essential to a healthful, happy city.
"Burlington has 24 hour electric
service giving an abundance of power for factories or labor saving equipment in
the homes.
"Burlington has all its principal
streets paved, and all of the main roads leading out into the rich farming
district are paved with concrete.
"Burlington has two modern automobile
fire trucks and other up-to-date equipment, affording the very best of fire
protection.
"Burlington has three banks, with
combined resources of nearly $4,000,000, proving the wealth of the community and
affording the very best of banking facilities.
"Burlington has a progressive class of
citizens, who join hands and work together when there is something to be
accomplished for the benefit of individual, church, society or for the city at
large.
"Burlington takes great pride in its
public school system. Our new $200,000 high school, having a capacity of over
400 students, would be a credit to any community. The teaching staff is an
exceptionally strong one. A prominent state authority has named the high school
the best in the state. The school offers a variety of courses, and for years has
been on the accredited list of western colleges. Burlington also has splendid
Lutheran and Catholic parochial schools, outstanding among which is the new St.
Mary's Catholic high school, which has just been completed at a cost of over
$100,000.
"Burlington has a God-loving
population, who have erected imposing structures in which they worship.
Catholic, Lutheran, German and English Methodist, Congregational, Christian
Science and Episcopal congregations hold regular services, and a friendly
co-operative spirit exists among them.
"Burlington has a public library,
containing 5,140 volumes. Its reading room contains most current magazines.
"Burlington has a splendid array of
manufacturing plants that make and send to the four corners of the world a
diversity of products. They include horse blankets, ladies' and men's coats and
underwear, mackinaws, rugs, plumbers' brass goods, automobile parts, baskets,
veneers, lightning rods, automobile accessories, brick and tile, soft drinks,
condensed and evaporated milk, butter, ice cream, sauerkraut, pickles, etc. The
industries are owned by local capital and the men at their heads are interested
in the growth and development of the city. Employment is given to a large number
of men and women and it is seldom that the demand for workmen is filled.
"Burlington is a popular summer resort
for southern Chicago and Milwaukee people. Brown's lake, 12 miles from the city,
has four large hotels that yearly accommodate thousands of visitors. Bohner's
lake, 3 miles south of the city, is especially noted as a family retreat. The
many lakes in this vicinity have their shores covered with summer homes and the
city is a very busy tourist center during the summer months.
"On July 1, 1927, a survey of
twenty-nine cities in the Chicago district showed that Burlington has 86.8 feet
of business frontage for each 100 people, as compared to Gary, Indiana, with
45.5 feet and Kenosha, Wisconsin, with 54 feet, Evanston, Ill., with 55.8 feet.
Of all the 29 cities surveyed, Burlington business frontage exceeded all others
by 20.4 feet, with no vacant space or buildings.
"The electors of Burlington have
recently approved a bond issue for park development and we will soon have a park
system that is second to none.
"The gas plant at Burlington furnishes
gas for heat, lighting and cooking exclusively to the cities of Lake Geneva,
Elkhorn, Delavan, Springfield and Lyons, and still further extensions are being
planned.
"Burlington is located on the Soo line
railroad, the C. M. & St. P. railroad and T. M. E. R. & L. electric railroad. It
is 70 miles from Chicago, thirty miles from Milwaukee, 30 miles from Racine and
30 miles from Kenosha. It has Chicago freight rates on all shipments to and from
points beyond that city. It has 29 passenger trains daily and 10 electric cars
daily each way to and from Milwaukee. It offers every advantage and opportunity
for new industries to locate here that every fair minded business concern would
desire.
"The only way to convince yourself of
the beauties of Burlington, its resources and advantages is to visit the city
because the latch string is always out.
"And now for the most recent
achievements.
"The completion of the city hall and
library building, a credit to any city.
"The fine new terminal building
erected by the Wisconsin Gas & Electric Co., the duplicate of which cannot be
found in cities ten times the size of Burlington.
"The Tichlofen row of store buildings
on Pine street; a fine lot of buildings, all of them occupied.
"The complete remodeling of the
interior of the Hotel Badger and the improvements at Hotel Burlington, giving
this city unsurpassed hotel facilities.
"The installation of the ornamental
lighting system in the business district, and the rebuilding of the street
lighting system, making Burlington the best lighted city in the state.
"The completion of the 18-hole golf
course at the lake, giving a recreation center for this sport which is so
rapidly gaining in popularity.
"The new Hansen Oil Co. building, the
new Agner garage, the new Oberg theatre, the remodeling of the Orpheum theatre,
the rebuilding and improving of the dance hall and dining room at the Antlers
hotel at Brown's lake, and the new Bazal improvements of the old city hall are
all milestones in our progress.
"Burlington values are permanent. It
has enjoyed a constant, steady growth and stands head and shoulders above other
cities of this size in municipal improvements and the conveniences that make a
happy, contented home.
"To sum up in conclusion, Burlington
has a population of 4,000, Soo Line and C. M. & St. P. railways, T. M. E. R. &
L. electric railway, Chicago freight rates, nine factories, three milk plants
that turn over 200,000 lbs. of milk daily, eight churches, seven schools, three
banks with $4,000,000 resources, miles of paved streets, stores of every kind,
nine garages, three theatres, modern hotels, artesian water supply, two motor
fire trucks, complete sewer system, public library, 24-bed hospital with
ambulance, two newspapers, building and loan association, Bell telephone system,
free camp site, gas and electric service, two golf courses, an athletic
association and a fast semi-professional baseball team with an ideal athletic
park for their games. It is situated at the junction of the Fox and White
rivers. It is 12 miles from Brown's lake, an ideal summer resort. In fact
Burlington is the CITY IDEAL for your factory, business or home."
For More Information Contact:
Burlington Historical Society
232 North Perkins Blvd., Burlington, WI 53105
Tel: (262) 767-2884
Internet:
info@burlingtonhistory.org
Notices: Disclaimer and Restriction of Liability