Burlington evolved from a small village into a bustling city that continues to grow. Aboriginal peoples were the first inhabitants of the area. The clear water and sandy shores of the bay inspired them to call the lake "Macassa", which means beautiful waters.
Early Explorers and European Settlers
One of the first European explorers to travel through the area was Robert LaSalle, who camped in the area now known as LaSalle Park in 1669. Years later, as the first European settlers began to arrive, they referred to Lake Macassa as Lake Geneva. Many of the settlers were United Empire Loyalists, North American settlers who remained loyal to the British monarchy, who emigrated from the United States.
The Lake Geneva area was once again renamed by the Governor of Upper Canada, John Graves Simcoe. When he first set eyes on the bay, he was reminded of his hometown in England near Bridlington Bay. He altered Bridlington slightly and renamed the area Burlington Bay.
Chief Joseph Brant Settles the Area
It was overlooking the Burlington Bay that Chief Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea), an aboriginal leader and United Empire Loyalist who helped the British fight in the American Revolutionary War, built his home. In 1784, King George III granted the famous Mohawk leader over 3,000 acres of land. With his wife Catherine and their children, he built his home just a few hundred yards south-west of the present day museum. After undergoing numerous ownership changes, the Brant estate eventually became the Brant House, a luxurious summer resort in the late 1870's.
As Brant sold off portions of his land, a small village began to form. He named the village Wellington Square, after the Duke of Wellington. In 1806 the future Nelson Township, in which Laura Secord was a landowner, was purchased from the Mississauga aboriginal peoples. In 1873 Wellington Square and Nelson Township petitioned the government to be incorporated into the village of Burlington.
The Modernization of Burlington
Although it relied heavily on agriculture during the 1800's, the village became more of a residential area in the 20th century, particularly for the people working in Hamilton. The village found itself adapting to modernization very quickly. By the beginning of the 20th century, electric street lamps were installed, followed by a waterworks system in 1909, sewage and storm sewers in 1914, and telephone and postal services in 1920.
Also in the early 1900's, a hotel built adjacent to the Brant House became very popular for its modernism. It featured such luxuries as elevators, electric lights, sanitary plumbing and hot water heating. Rates began at $2.50 a day.
By 1914, Burlington had evolved into a town with a population of just over 2,000. In 1917, the Brant Hotel was expropriated by the Federal Government and remodeled for use as a hospital for soldiers who had returned wounded from the First World War. A few years after the end of the war, the remaining veterans were transported into Toronto.
However, the Brant Hotel was badly damaged by a fire in 1925 and then further destroyed by vandalism. Eventually this historic building was demolished. In May of 1942, the Joseph Brant Museum opened as a replica of Brant's house.
Modern Burlington
Burlington's growth continued and surrounding areas were eventually annexed into the town. This brought the population from 9,568 to 32,935 by 1958 and resulted in Burlington being the size of approximately 55,000 acres of land.
The Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital was built near the museum in 1961. Burlington officially became a city in 1974, and since then has grown into the large city it is today of over 160,000 people.
Additional Resources:
The History of Spencer Smith Park in Burlington
Tourism Burlington - History of Burlington
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