In Burlington Volume II, authors Mary Ann DiSpirito and David Robinson continue the detailed look at this intriguing Vermont city. Discovered by Samuel de
Champlain in 1609, the next few centuries saw Burlington evolve from a wilderness to a small settlement, and eventually, flourish into Vermont's largest city. Situated on the shores of Lake Champlain, Burlington's waterfront area became the early center of commerce in the late eighteenth century with the rise of the lumber industry and the use of ships for transport. By 1865, when Burlington was incorporated as a city, the industries that profoundly shaped Burlington's personality were already well established—these included lumber, textiles, shipping, and the railroad, as well as higher education.