History

Back in the logging days this is where they had a chain (also known as a boom) across the Belize River to catch logs that floated downstream. These logs were stamped beforehand so that sawmills knew whose logs they were sawing. From the boom logs were rafted together and floated down to Belize Town to the sawmills.^[1]

Commercial rice growing began in 1954 close to Burrell Boom at a place called Mussel Creek. This government project was expected to expand to 2,000 acres by 1960.^[2] In the summer of 1958 the government sold its pilot rice project at Mussel Creek to a rice company from Arkansas. As of August, 1959, this company had 500 acres in rice and was anticipating a future rice acreage of 15,000 acres. But in 1959 a disease wiped out all the crops.

Oil was discovered in 2005, the oil reservoir covered an area of approximately 438,000 acres of land, spanning parts of Benque Viejo del Carmen Town, Yalbac, Spanish Lookout, Belmopan City, and even Burrell Boom. ^[3]

Etymology

In The Handbook of British Honduras 1888-89 it is stated that J. Tucker was appointed as Deputy Registrar for The Boom in 1887.^[4]

Burrell Boom was mentioned in the Government Gazette of 1963.^[5]