The History Behind Burlington Island

Burlington Island or Matinicunk Island, as the natives called it in the 1600s, became the first site permanent European settlement on the Delaware River. In 1624, the West India Company of Holland sent a group of French-speaking Walloons to settle in the New World. They chose Matinicunk Island. The Walloons came from what, today, is Belgium. The Walloons set up a trading post on the island to barter with the Indians. The Indian name “Matinicunk” means “Island of Pines.” In 1626, the Dutch returned to transport the Walloons back to Manhattan in an effort to consolidate the Dutch Colony. During the mid-1600s, the Dutch governor Alexander D’Hinoyossa maintained his resident on “High” Island, as he called it. Subsequent to the Dutch, Swedes and Finns occupied this island as well until it was taken over by the English in 1664.

Possession of the island changed hands several times during the ensuing few years until the English gained temporary control of all of New Netherlands in 1664 and final control in 1675. In 1682, with the help of Burlington resident Robert Stacy, the West Jersey Assembly passed an act granting the island to Burlington to be rented for farming. The legislation directed the rent collected would aid in paying for educating the children of Burlington. Since that act in 1682, the title to the island, even though challenged by Pennsylvania down through the years, has remained with the City of Burlington. In 1852 the state legislature chartered a board titled, “Managers and Treasurers of the Fund for the Education of the Youth in the City of Burlington.” This board remains active to this day.

Shortly after the state chartered the board, Burlington citizens permitted the managers put the lower half of the island—about 100 acres—up for sale. The Burlington Island Land Association purchased the island property for $20,100.00. For many years, this association agitated for the construction of a bridge across the back channel to the island so they could sell building lots. Of course, this never happened and in the late 1880s, the association gave up and sold the land to others. In 1900, the owner of the lower section of the island, Mark Bassler, developed it as a family picnic resort. He erected a pier, tables and a large open pavilion. He also had sand deposited upriver from the pier to form a beach. At the north end of his property, the city erected a wire fence. At this location, the resort managers built a large bath house and an ice cream stand. Reportedly 4,000 people visited the island in a single day during the 1902 season. By 1907, the park owners convinced George Potts, owner of Rancocas Park in Mount Laurel (where Rancocas Woods now stands) to move his better amusement rides to the island to enhance his revenue stream. Meanwhile, park management erected some swings to entertain the daily guests. As the park developed and management introduced better rides, Potts removed his amusements back to his park in Mount Laurel.

In 1917, the owner sold the island property and amusement park. The new owners moved quickly to erect “Island Beach Park,” an elaborate amusement park complete with a large wooden roller coaster called the Greyhound. The park even featured a miniature railroad complete with replica Reading R.R. camelback locomotives. This new park became the toast of the river excursion crowd, attracting thousands. At times, the river pier would have six and seven steamers waiting to unload its human cargo. Still others came by train and would take the little ferryboat, the “William E. Doron,” to the island. In 1928 a disastrous fire all but destroyed the amusement park. A second fire in 1934 finished the job. Although one ride still survives: the restored carousel at Seaside Heights. After the 1928 fire, a physician purchased the carousel and its shelter and had it moved from the island and shipped to become a new amusement for visitors to Seaside Heights. But this ride, still enjoyed by many today, began amusing folks on Burlington Island.

After the 1928 fire, the destroyed amusement park owners sold the lower half of the island to the Hainesport Mining and Transportation Company, part of the Van Sciver Corporation, for sand mining. It April 1929, when the Warner Sand Company bought out the Van Sciver firm for $10 million, they received title to this land. In 1955 Warner began dredging operations, which they completed in 1969. After removing the sand from the island, it left a large lagoon. Warner returned title to this lagoon and the land surrounding back to the City of Burlington instead of the Board of Island Managers. In 1971, the city had the mouth of this basin closed off from the river. Until recently the north half of the island was owned by the Board of Island Managers and the City of Burlington owned the south half which led to friction about future of the island. It is now controlled by the BOIM who is leasing the south end from the city.

Tidbits…..

Sand-mining destroyed most of the artifacts and sites from the Dutch and early English occupation of the island. Author, naturalist, and early archaeologist Charles Conrad Abbott made several sojourns on the island and gathered many artifacts from the Dutch period which he presented to the Peabody Museum at Harvard.

The Dutch established their habitation on the lower end of the island so they could observe any threats coming up the Delaware River.

For many years, for around $20 a year people could rent a small lot and build little houses on the north end of the island which was owned by the Board Of Island Managers. All that came to a halt in the early seventies, when all the "shacks" were destroyed.

News item in the Bucks County Gazette of Aug 1909 "Bristol’s Champion Swimmer"
If there is any young man in the towns along the Delaware river who believes that he is a champion long distance swimmer we would like to know his name and match him against a modest Bristol youngster, whom we believe is the sturdiest swimmer in this section. We have reference to Andrew Clark, son of Robert Clark, of Radcliffe street.
Last Saturday afternoon Andrew proved his ability as a human fish by swimming around Burlington Island, one-half of the stretch being a battle with the strong tide.
The feat was a remarkable one, the distance traveled being about five miles and was accomplished without a stop in two hours and forty-five minutes.

New Jersey’s first record of an African presence notes slaves of a Dutch colonial official who lived on the island.

The first murder in recorded New Jersey history took place on this island in the 1670s when two Indians murdered two Dutchmen.

Total Area: 396 Acres

Lake: 97 Acres

Land: 299 Acres

20 Miles by water from Trenton.

14 Miles by water from Philadelphia.

Elevation: varies from an Average of 14 ft to about 35 ft.

Pictures …..

Present Day

Ariel View Showing Amusement Park, Picnic Grove, Roller Coaster & Mini-railway

All visitors to Island Beach Amusement Park had to arrive by boat, either a river steamer or the little ferryboat called the William E. Doron

Here is a view of the excursion steamer Columbia and the William E. Doron in her ferry slip in Bristol

William E. Doron Ferry – Smaller Boat Which Carried People From Bristol To The Island

William E. Doron – Circa 1915

One of the early amusements rides on the island came from George Potts’ Rancocas Park in Mount Laurel


Crowds visited the island regularly



A beach scene on the island


One of two tree-lined thoroughfares in the park


The Scenic Railway or Roller Coaster called the Greyhound


The miniature railway


A view of the island from Bristol