Bob Hansen
for The Hawk Eye
History books try to ignore it and no where in Burlington is there a suitable plaque raised to those that dealt with it. But before the start of the 20th century, our forebears were fighting an often disgusting battle to keep the problem in check.
Simply put, the problem was poop. Human waste, excrement, night soil. And it was for good reason that early Burlington was cursed with the nickname “Turd Town.”
The city’s natural drainage lines, a lack of laws and horrible hygiene habits converted the streets and alleys of the “Lower Town” into a quagmire of waste animal and otherwise. Hawkeye Creek was an open sewer, raw sewage floated in the river and the levee was considered a public lavatory.
History of The Murray
[This story by Julia Mericle appeared in The Hawk Eye Apr 23, 2018]
Sam R. Bartlett, Francis Howland, and C.L. Rice, the company’s first president, incorporated the iron and brass foundry in 1870. According to an article in The Hawk Eye from about 1925, the origins of the name Murray are unclear.
The company purchased machine shops and a foundry from a foundry owner named Sowden, as well as several lots on Main and Elm Streets with plans to erect new buildings.
In July of 1870, C.H. Higbee took over as the principal owner.
The whole history is in the Burlington Public Library archives.