Burley, Washington
Encyclopedia
Burley is an Census Designated Community in Kitsap County, Washington
, United States
. The community is located just north of the boundary with Pierce County
, and about half way between Gig Harbor
to the south and Port Orchard
to the north. It is located at the head of the Burley Lagoon
in Henderson Bay
. Burley is a residential area. The community's population stood at 2,057 at the 2010 census.
Burley was established in 1898 as a cooperative socialist colony, by a group called the Co-operative Brotherhood, an offshoot of the Brotherhood of the Co-operative Commonwealth that had established Equality colony
elsewhere in Washington state in the previous year. Both communities were part of an attempt to plant socialist colonies in Washington in order to convert first the state, and then the entire nation, to socialism.
Burley was originally named Brotherhood. Circle City was an area of the colony with buildings laid out on the periphery of a circle. In its earliest years the community achieved a maximum population of approximately 150 people; but like some other planned towns of the era such as Equality Colony, its population endured a long decline through the ensuing years. The local economy was dominated by the lumber industry; other businesses never flourished, though a cigar-manufacturing effort did achieve some short term success.
Kitsap County, Washington
Kitsap County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe. As of 2011 state estimate, its population was 253,900. Its county seat is at Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The community is located just north of the boundary with Pierce County
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
, and about half way between Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor, Washington
Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census....
to the south and Port Orchard
Port Orchard, Washington
Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located 13 miles due west of West Seattle and connected to Seattle and Vashon Island via the Washington State Ferries run to Southworth...
to the north. It is located at the head of the Burley Lagoon
Burley Lagoon
Burley Lagoon is a picturesque watershed located on the Key Peninsula in both Pierce County, Washington and Kitsap County, Washington. Approximately sixty percent of the lagoon is in Pierce County and forty percent in Kitsap County. The percentages in each county are reversed for the watershed...
in Henderson Bay
Henderson Bay
Henderson Bay is a bay on the Aupouri Peninsula, at very top of the North Island in New Zealand. It is on the eastern side of the peninsula, close to New Zealand State Highway 1 near Houhora. A metal road connects the bay to the highway....
. Burley is a residential area. The community's population stood at 2,057 at the 2010 census.
Burley was established in 1898 as a cooperative socialist colony, by a group called the Co-operative Brotherhood, an offshoot of the Brotherhood of the Co-operative Commonwealth that had established Equality colony
Equality colony
The Equality Colony was a US socialist colony founded in Skagit County, Washington, in the year 1897. It was meant to serve as a model which would convert the rest of Washington and later the entire United States to socialism....
elsewhere in Washington state in the previous year. Both communities were part of an attempt to plant socialist colonies in Washington in order to convert first the state, and then the entire nation, to socialism.
Burley was originally named Brotherhood. Circle City was an area of the colony with buildings laid out on the periphery of a circle. In its earliest years the community achieved a maximum population of approximately 150 people; but like some other planned towns of the era such as Equality Colony, its population endured a long decline through the ensuing years. The local economy was dominated by the lumber industry; other businesses never flourished, though a cigar-manufacturing effort did achieve some short term success.
See also
- Social Democracy of AmericaSocial Democracy of AmericaThe Social Democracy of America , later known as the Co-operative Brotherhood, was a short lived party in the United States that sought to combine the planting of an intentional community with political action in order to create a socialist society...
- Socialist Party of WashingtonSocialist Party of WashingtonThe Socialist Party of Washington was the Washington state section of the Socialist Party of America , an organization originally established as a federation of semi-autonomous state organizations...