Linn County is one of the most naturally beautiful and historically
significant counties in Kansas. It is particularly well known for its pre-Civil
War and Civil War history, which earned this area the name "Bleeding Kansas."
Linn County was home to the original Kansas Jayhawkers, the site of the Marais
des Cygnes Massacre, one of the triggers of the Civil War, and the location
of the only Civil War battlefield in Kansas.
The confluence of the Marais des Cygnes River and Big Sugar Creek resulted in
natural wetlands which are now protected as a wildlife refuge.
The county is now experiencing rapid growth due to its proximity to the Kansas
City metropolitan area, and to the US 69 corridor which runs through the eastern
part of the county.
History
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Organized in 1855.
County seat, Mound City.
Named for Lewis F. Linn, a distinguished United
States Senator from Missouri, who died in 1843,
in office. He was a colleague of Hon.
Thos. H, Benton
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Map and text from History of Kansas,
Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899)
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William G. Cutler's
History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about
early Linn County.
The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of
Mound City,
La Cygne, and
Blue Mound.
The Kansas State Historical Society also has
more
historical data for Linn County online including a rich bibliography and lists of
cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.
Cities, Towns, & Villages of Linn County
Town Population ZIP Year Elevation
================= ========== ========= ==== =========
Blue Mound 277 66010 1040
Boicourt 800
Cadmus 881
Centerville 66014 925
Critzer 886
Dunlay 950
Farlinville 820
Goodrich 900
La Cygne 1,115 66040 828
La Cygne Corner 864
Mantey 880
Mound City 821 66056 875
Parker 281 66072 1005
Pleasanton 1,387 66075 1869 861
Prescott 280 66767 880
Trading Post 1869 810
Census Bureau Profile & Map
Special Places in Linn County
- Trading Post is the oldest, still occupied, settlement in Kansas.
- The cemetery at Trading Post has a granite obelisk (left) commemorating
the people killed at the Marais des Cygne massacre. Part of a famous
poem
by John Greenleaf Whitter is inscribed on the marker. At the Trading Post cemetary there is also an historical marker about the massacre.
- Kansas only major Civil War battle took place at
Mine
Creek. The battlefield is now a state historic site.
- The Mound City city hall is a simple plain brick building built in 1868.
- The Linn county courthouse in Mound City, built in 1886, is the
second oldest courthouse still in use in Kansas.
- The site of the Marais Des Cygnes
massacre,
a horrible event of the "Bleeding Kansas" era,
is now a state historic site near Trading Post.
- The Marais des Cygnes wildlife area is home to a wide variety
of migrating birds.
- Sugar Creek Mission, destination of the Pottawatomie Indian relocation
(the Trail of Death), is now the site of a 400 acre park. It offers
discriptive displays, hiking trails, and rustic areas.
Special Events in Linn County
- Border War Days, held each May to remember the Marais des
Cygnes massacre. It's located at the State Historical site east of
Trading Post.
- Sugar Mound Arts & Crafts festival is held the second
full weekend in October on the fairgrounds in Mound City. There are
over 550 booths of craftsmen from all over the United States that come
to show and sell their crafts to 20,000 to 25,000 shoppers.
- The Prescott Coal Center Days in July celebrate the railroad
history of the towns.
- The Swan Fest is held each June in La Cygne.
- The county fair and rodeo is the second week in August at the
fairgrounds in Mound City.
- La Cygne has a Fiesta the third weekend in September.
- The Trading Post Festival is the last Sunday in September;
it features fiddlers, contests, and an auction.
Libraries
- Blue Mound Library (913) 756-2628
216 W. Main, P. O. Box 13 / Blue Mound, KS 66010
- Linn County Library District #2 (913) 757-2151
209 N. Broadway / P. O. Box 127 / LaCygne, KS 66040
- Linn County Library District #1 (913) 898-4650
230 Main / P.O. 315 / Parker, Kansas 66072
- Mary Sommerville Free Library (913) 795-2788
509 Main / P. O. Box 325 / Mound City, KS 66056
The oldest library in continuous operation in the state
- Pleasanton-Lincoln Library (913) 352-8554
202 W. Ninth Box 101 / Pleasanton, KS 66075-0101
- Prescott City Public Library (913) 471-4837
P. O. Box 112 / Prescott, KS 66767-0112
Museums
- La Cygne (913) 757-2101
La Cygne, KS 66040
Antiques, horse-drawn implements, old-time apothecary shop
- Linn County Historical Museum (913) 352-8739
Dunlap Park / Pleasanton KS 66075
Genealogical Library, county history, and an old county store display
- Mound City Historic Park (913) 795-2029 or (913) 795-2269
Mound City, KS 66056
A whole village of historical buildings
- Parker Historical Museum (913) 898-4781
Parker, KS 66072
Displays of antiques and tools, school house
- Trading Post Museum (913) 352-6441
E-mail: awitradingpostmuseum@ckt.net
Trading Post, KS - Hwy 69, mile marker 96 - beside the Trading Post cemetery
Linn County School Systems
Newspapers
More Data About Linn County
Economic Development
- Kansas County Profile Reports
Statistical data from The Institute for Policy and Social Research, the University of Kansas
Health Data
Genealogy
Linn County Offices
- Linn County (913) 795-2660
P. O. Box B / Mound City, KS 66056
- Extension Service 913-795-2829
115 S. Sixth Street / P.O. Box 160 / Mound City, KS 66056
References
- WPA. The WPA Guide to 1930s Kansas
(Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, reprint 1984)
See tour 13, pages 501-502
- Linn County: A History - Mitchell
For more information:
