Why Is Burlington Called the Queen City?

The moniker "Queen City" is not unique to Burlington. You may have heard of other cities called the Queen City, as the nickname was (and still is) commonly assigned to a municipality that is the economic and social hub of its region. Other Queen Cities throughout the country include:¹

• Buffalo, NY (Queen City of the Great Lakes)
  
• Charlotte, NC
  
• Cincinnati, OH (Queen City of the West)
  
• Denver, CO (Queen City of the Plains)
  
• New Orleans, LA (Queen City of the South)
  
• Seattle, WA (Queen City of the Pacific Northwest, although this nickname was officially replaced in 1982 by "The Emerald City")
  
• Springfield, MO (Queen City of the Ozarks)
  
• Terre Haute, IN (Queen City of the Wabash)
  
• Bangor, ME (Queen City of the East)
  
• Sedalia, MO (Queen City of the Prairie)
  
• Helena, MT (Queen City of the Rockies)
  
• Regina, Saskatchewan
  
• Toronto, Ontario
  
• Cebu City, Philippines (Queen City of the South)
  

So, what does this mean for Burlington? How does Burlington stand out amongst the hoards of Queen Cities around the world (and this is only a partial list)?

The origin of its nickname can be traced back almost 150 years. Burlington was not legally incorporated as a village until 1852. However, as its size and regional importance grew rapidly through the mid-1800s, it was split from South Burlington and transformed into a city on January 18, 1865 by a joint citizen vote and act of the Vermont State Legislature. The first mayor of the new city was Albert L. Catlin, a member of the prestigious Catlin family that was heavily involved in Burlington's early political and economic arenas. Catlin was the first to call Burlington the Queen City, proclaiming its wonders in his Mayor's Address in 1866:

"We represent a young city, which may in time be known and distinguished as the Queen City of New England. It has just been launched upon a career, that I trust will prove prosperous and happy. Its location for natural beauty is not equaled in any part of our country- and for natural and acquired advantages in a business point of view, for manufactures and a general business-character, few places are its equal, and none surpass it."²

And here is something that none of the other Queen Cities can claim: Burlington was the third largest lumber port in the nation by 1870, topped only by Chicago and Albany. In 1889, at the peak of production, 375 million board feet of lumber, harvested from Canadian forests and shipped via Lake Champlain, were processed in the saw mills along the Burlington waterfront.³ This lumber was then shipped via boat or railroad to major urban centers throughout the east coast. Thus, Burlington's strategic location along the lake and railroad lines rendered it a major industrial center, as seen in the stereoscopic image below of the waterfront in c.1870.

Stereoscopic image of the Burlington waterfront, c.1870 (Source: www.uvm.edu/landscape)

Although miniscule in scale with most other cities throughout the country, Burlington remains the economic center of Vermont today. And, judging from the large number of businesses in Burlington that employ the phrase "Queen City" in their name, its nickname is here to stay!

References:

¹ Suzanne King and Peter Shoemaker, Public History Practicum: A Look at the Burlington, VT Police Department History (Burlington, VT).

² Catlin, Albert. The Charter and Ordinances, with the Address of the Hon. A.L. Catlin, Mayor, June 7, 1865, and Annual Report of the Officers and Committees of the City of Burlington for the Financial Year Ending February 1, 1865. Burlington: Free Press Steam Printing Office, 1866.

³ Jean Inamorati, Mary O'Neil and Rebecca Williams, Church Street Historic District National Register Nomination (December 15, 2008).

Inordinate Ordinances Nos. 1 & 2

Burlington city government has struggled balancing community well-being and permitting reasonable individual freedom since it first organized itself as a city in 1865. Sometimes, it has not got the balance quite right.

Recurring posts will feature a selection of outdated and, to today's standards, inordinate ordinances from Burlington's past. They are presented completely unaltered from their original publication in Burlington's Annual Reports, which contained new or revised ordinances written each year through the 19th century.

An Ordinance in relation to Ball Playing upon the Public Parks, Commons or Streets.

It is hereby ordained by the City Council of the City of Burlington, as follows:

Sec. 1. No person shall play at ball, or at any game of chance or skill upon any of the public parks, commons or streets in this city; and any person convicted thereof shall forfeit and pay for each offense a sum not less than 1 dollar nor more than 10 dollars.

Approved, June 6th, 1871



An Ordinance in relation to the Removal from the Streets and Sidewalks of the City, of Thistles, Weeds, etc.

It is hereby ordained by the City Council of the City of Burlington, as follows:

Sec. 1. Annually, between the 15th and 30th days of June, and the 1st and 15th days of September, it shall be the duty of all owners, or occupants of any land adjoining any street or highway of the city to cut down, and remove therefrom, to the centre of such street or highway, all thistles, weeds, or other noxious* vegetable growth, which may be a nuisance or injury to the community.

Sec. 2. Any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance, shall be liable to a penalty of not less than one dollar, and not more than 5 dollars, for each and every offense.

Approved, February 3d, 1873


Notes:

*Noxious- 1. Harmful to living things; injurious to health 2. Harmful to the mind or morals; corrupting
(From The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, 1996).


References:

Government and Officers of the City of Burlington, Vermont. Sixth Annual Report of the City of Burlington, Vermont. Burlington, Vermont: R.S. Styles, Steam Book and Job Printer, 1871.
Government and Officers of the City of Burlington, Vermont. Eighth Annual Report of the City of Burlington, Vermont, with the Amended Charter, and Ordinances. Burlington, Vermont: R.S. Styles, Steam Book and Job Printer, 1873.

Does the World Need Another Blog?

Yes. Because as of now, there is no blog dedicated to local history in Burlington, Vermont.

So what?

Well, if you're anything like me, you walk around the streets of town in wonder. Why do things look the way they do? What's the deal with that house? What was in that spot before this unsightly structure was erected? Who are the people that have built this city, shaped this environment that we are surrounded by every day? What development choices were made that have had a lasting impact on the way that Burlingtonians live their lives today? Why is Burlington called the Queen City anyways?

This blog will attempt to answer these questions, and many more. As a recent graduate of the University of Vermont's historic preservation master's program and a Burlington resident for a number of years, I have an obsession with figuring out and imagining what was here before me. And I have a lot of time on my hands. So, this blog is a motivation to research all those things I see around me that I am curious about, and share my findings with anyone who is interested.

So, here's my manifesto: Understanding local history is an essential part of connecting to and valuing where we live. When we can wonder at the people, places and stories that comprise of our local history, we may be more inclined to understand, to honor and to use the physical legacy of the past: historic buildings, structures, landscapes, etc.

Okay, enough preaching. Although I am a proponent of historic preservation, the purpose of this blog is to expose random aspects of Burlington's history for whomever wishes to know. Do what you like with this information, and please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Long live the Queen City!