Property created in the mid 1890's by the Vermont Central Railroad, predecessor of today's Central Vermont Railway, formed land along Lake Champlain that became the Port of Burlington after the railroad purchased property and filled adjacent portions of the lake. Burlington's first train arrived in December 1849, and the railroad quickly became central to the city's growth and prosperity. Commerce expanded immediately, and by 1869 Burlington had become the third largest lumber port in the country behind only Chicago and Albany, handling 110 million board feet of lumber a year at its peak. In 1861, Burlington's first Union Station was built on this land and served passengers of the Central Vermont and Rutland Railroad until 1916, when the Union Station standing at the foot of Main Street was placed in service. As the lumber business declined, other commercial uses developed on the waterfront into the 1900's, including grain and fuel storage, the Morgans Electric Generating Plant, and rail yards. After many years of debate over redevelopment and city acquisition of the railroad's property, the land was sold to the City in 1990. The Central Vermont's main line borders the park to the east and links Burlington with the United States and Candian railroad network.
