AN EARLY BURLINGTON POSTMARKED COVER
By Ed & Jean Siskin
Burlington, New Jersey was founded by two Quaker groups in 1677, five years earlier than Philadelphia. It was a planned community and the original draft map of the town prepared in 1678, contains many of the same street names that exist today. In 1681, when New Jersey was divided into two providences, East Jersey and West Jersey, Burlington was named the Capital of West Jersey. As Capital, it became a significant port city. Sometime shortly thereafter, a post office must have been established to receive and distribute incoming mail. The exact date is uncertain.
