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The township of Burlington was one of the original
townships in Bradford county, having been formed prior to the organization of
the county, in 1786. It is bounded on the north by Smithfield and Ulster,
on the east by North Towanda and Towanda, on the south by Franklin, on the west
by West Burlington. The township is well watered by Sugar Creek and its
tributaries. Its surface is rolling, and the soil well adapted to grazing
and agricultural products generally. There are four post offices in the
township Highland, Luther’s Mills, Burlington, Mountain Lake. The great
Indian path from the North Branch of the Susquehanna to the west branch of the
Susquehanna, passed through the township. The early settlers were Isaac
Dewitt, Abram Dewitt, James McKean, William Dobbins, James Ward, Alexander
Campbell, Derrick Miller, Ebenezer Dunbar, Ephraim Swain, Ira Nichols, Jared
Soper, Ezra Brafit, Ephraim Jacque, Ezra Goddard, Luther Goddard, Stephen
Ballard, Joseph Ballard, John Ballard, Nathaniel Ballard, John Clark, Moses
Calkins, Jeremiah Taylor, Benjamin Saxton, Jessie Marvin, Jehiel Ferris, John
Gammage, George Head, James Campbell, David Campbell, Eliphalet Luther, Col.
Lockwood, Nehemiah Allen, John McNean, Joel Calkins, David Miller, William
Pratt, Otho a colored man, Samuel McKean, Samuel Wallace, Timothy Hosmer, Major
William Judd, John Jenkins, John Clark, Champion Scoville, Ebenezer Kendall,
Reuben Wilbur, Jehiel Ferris, Jesse Beach, Timothy Beach, Doct. Ira Lee, Oliver
Nelson, Lawson Hemengway.
--Burlington borough was established in 1853.
--Burlington was formerly known as Juddsburg.
--Jehiel Ferris was the first shoemaker in
Burlington.
--The first highway in Burlington was made in 1791.
--Burlington was named after Burlington, Vermont.
--Ezra Goddard was the first merchant in Burlington, in 1796.
--The first orchard was set out by Ebenezer Kendall, in 1799.
--A number of cases of small pox occurred in 1807, in Burlington.
--Ezra Goddard built the first grist and saw mill in Burlington, in 1798.
--The first settlers of Burlington were from the town of Chemung, N. Y.
--The first Methodist preacher, who visited Burlington, was Rev. Mr. Newman.
--The celebrated Lorenzo Dow, visited Burlington in June, 1806, and preached.
--Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, was a heavy land owner in Burlington township.
--The religious service was held in 1791, by Mrs. James McKean and Mrs. William Dobbins.
--At the first election held in the township of Burlington, there was a wedding, a barbecue, and a dance.
--Burlington Lodge, No. 904, I. O. O. F., was organized March 26, 1875, L. M. Rundell, N. G.; P. P. Burns, V. G.; N. W. Lane, Sec; R. R. Phelps, Treas.
--Noah Wilson, Nathaniel Allen, James Campbell, James McKean and Eli Case, were the first election board of Burlington. The election was held at the house of Ezra Goddard.
--In 1822, in digging a cellar for Gen. Samuel McKean, a stone vault was found, which contained a skeleton of a human being, measuring eight feet two inches in length. A pine tree was growing over the vault three feet in diameter.
--Tom Jack was a Moravian convert, of the Mingo tribe of Indians, and was known as the white man’s friend, lived at Burlington, on the Tom Jack Creek. His wife was Betty Montour. His daughter, “White Fawn,” was educated by the Moravians, and became a teacher.
--Dr. Ira Lee, an English physician, attempted to introduce vaccination for small pox in 1813, in Burlington, and was compelled to leave the town. The war between United States and Great Britian was then going on, and the inhabitants conceived that Dr. Lee was a secret emissary, Employed by the British Government to destroy the American people.
--Captain Daniel Dobbins, son of one of the old settlers of Burlington was in command of a merchant vessel, owned by himself and Mr. Rufus H. Reed of Erie Pa.; when the war of 1812 occurred. He was at Detroit and was taken prisoner, he was subsequently retaken by Gen. Hull, and again surrendered into the hands of the British, being released he was detailed by General Mead to go to Washington with important dispatches concerning the surrender of Detroit. Upon His arrival at Washington a cabinet meeting was called and he recommended in view of the loss Of Detroit, that a naval depot should be established at Presque Isle, in the present harbor of Erie, Pa. His suggestion was received with favor, and he was immediately commissioned to enter Upon the work of establishing such a depot. He returned to Erie and commenced the Construction of gun boats, and in March following, Commodore Perry arrived. Captain Dobbins Continued in active service until he had the proud satisfaction of seeing the fleet which he had Equipped and manned, commanded by Commodore Perry, victorious in the battle of Lake Erie On the 10th of September, 1814. Thus did a Bradford county citizen contribute towards Establishing Erie as a naval port, and the success of Commodore Perry.