Linn County, Kansas

Linn County Education, Geography, and History

Linn County is a county located in east-central Kansas. Based on the 2010 census, the county population was 9,656. Linn County was created on August 25, 1855. The county seat is Mound City. The county is named for Lewis F. Linn, a United States Senator from Missouri.

Linn County is included in the Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Linn County Name

The county is named for Lewis F. Linn, a distinguished United States Senator from Missouri, who died in 1843, in office. He was a colleague of Honorable Thomas H. Benton.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Linn County History

Linn County, situated in the eastern tier, next to the Missouri state line, and in the third tier south of the Kansas river, was one of the original 33 counties created by the first territorial legislature, with the following boundaries: "Beginning at the southeast corner of Lykins (now Miami) county; thence south 24 miles; thence west 24 miles; thence north 24 miles; thence east 24 miles to the place of beginning."

It was named Linn in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a United States senator from Missouri. In 1868 the boundaries were redefined as follows: "Commencing at the southeast corner of Miami county; thence south along the west boundary of the State of Missouri to the corner on said line to fractional sections 13 and 24, township 23 south, of range 25 east; thence west along the section lines to the corner of sections 14, 15, 22 and 23, township 23 south of range 21 east; thence north along the section lines between the second and third tiers of sections to the southwest corner of Miami county; thence east along the south boundary of said Miami county to the place of beginning."

By this act a strip, varying in width from a half mile at the northwest corner of the county to nearly a mile and a half at the southwest corner, was added to the west side of the county and the area increased to 637 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Miami county, on the east by the State of Missouri, on the south by Bourbon county, and on the west by Anderson county

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 606 square miles (1,570 km²), of which 594 square miles (1,540 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) (2.0%) is water.

 Linn county is located in east Kansas. The county is rolling prairie, broken in the eastern part. One-fifth is rich bottom land, very fertile and productive. The highest elevation being Silver Hill, which rises to a height of 300 feet above the river. Timber in this county consists of black walnut, oak, sycamore, hickory, cottonwood, ash, box-elder and elm. The most significant water course is the Marias des Cygnes, which crosses the northern boundary a little east of the middle and flows in a southeast direction, crossing the eastern boundary a little north of the center.

Description

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.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Miami County - North
• State of Missouri - East
• Bourbon County - South
• Anderson County - West

Education

Unified School Districts

Jayhawk USD 346
Prairie View USD 362

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