Editing Burns, Kansas (section)

==History==
[[File:Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Marion County.png|thumb|left|1915 Railroad Map of [[Marion County, Kansas|Marion County]]]]

===Early history===
{{See also|History of Kansas}}
For many [[millennia]], the [[Great Plains]] of [[North America]] was inhabited by [[nomadic]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].  From the 16th century to 18th century, the [[Kingdom of France]] claimed ownership of large parts of [[North America]].  In 1762, after the [[French and Indian War]], France secretly ceded [[New France]] to [[Spain]], per the [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]].

===19th century===
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France.  In 1803, most of the land for [[History of Kansas|modern day Kansas]] was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile [[Louisiana Purchase]] for 2.83 [[Penny (United States coin)|cents]] per [[acre]].

In 1854, the [[Kansas Territory]] was organized, then in 1861 [[Kansas]] became the 34th [[U.S. state]].  In 1855, [[Marion County, Kansas|Marion County]] was established within the [[Kansas Territory]], which included the land for modern day Burns.<ref name="Marion-Co-History">{{Cite web |url=http://www.marioncoks.net/AboutMarionCounty/History/tabid/7634/Default.aspx |title=The History of Marion County and Courthouse |access-date=2014-04-23 |archive-date=2018-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227021903/http://www.marioncoks.net/AboutMarionCounty/History/tabid/7634/Default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1877, the [[Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company]] built a branch line from [[Florence, Kansas|Florence]] to [[El Dorado, Kansas|El Dorado]], and a station called '''Burns''' was built north of the present city location.  In 1881, the rail line was extended to [[Douglass, Kansas|Douglass]], then later to [[Arkansas City, Kansas|Arkansas City]].<ref name="MarionCountyBook">''Marion County Kansas : Past and Present''; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; [[LCCN]] 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972.</ref><ref>[http://cdm15942.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15942coll26/id/13 1935 Rand McNally Standard Map of Kansas]</ref>  The line was leased and operated by the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]].  The line from [[Florence, Kansas|Florence]] through Burns to [[El Dorado, Kansas|El Dorado]] was abandoned in 1942.<ref name="Abandon Railway 1942">[http://www.abandonedrails.com/Florence_to_El_Dorado Railway Abandonment 1942]</ref>  The original branch line connected [[Florence, Kansas|Florence]] through [[El Dorado, Kansas|El Dorado]] to [[Arkansas City, Kansas|Arkansas City]].

At the present location, a city named '''St. Francis''' was platted in August 1880. When the town incorporated, they discovered the official city name of [[St. Francis, Kansas|St. Francis]] was already taken, so they changed the name to be the same as the nearby '''Burns''' train station, then soon afterward the station was moved into the new city. The original station was named after a railroad company official.<ref name="MarionCountyBook"/>

A post office was established in Burns on November 30, 1880.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county:MN |title=Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961 (archived) |publisher=Kansas Historical Society |accessdate=14 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009130856/http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/county%3AMN |archivedate=October 9, 2013 }}</ref>

===20th century===
[[Burns Union School|Burns High School]] was closed in 1965 as a result of statewide school district consolidation.  Burns Elementary & Junior High School closed in 1997 due to the lack of funds.  Education is currently provided by [[Peabody–Burns USD 398]] public school district in [[Peabody, Kansas|Peabody]].

===21st century===
In 2010, the [[Keystone Pipeline|Keystone-Cushing Pipeline]] (Phase II) was constructed 6.5 miles west of Burns, north to south through [[Marion County, Kansas|Marion County]], with much controversy over road damage, tax exemption, and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).<ref>[http://www.gpace.org/news/marion-county-commission-calls-out-legislative-leadership-on-pipeline-deal/ Keystone Pipeline - ''Marion County Commission calls out Legislative Leadership on Pipeline Deal''; April 18, 2010.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022015437/http://www.gpace.org/news/marion-county-commission-calls-out-legislative-leadership-on-pipeline-deal/ |date=October 22, 2011 }}</ref><ref>[http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/dec/10/transcanada-inspecting-keystone-pipeline/ Keystone Pipeline - ''TransCanada inspecting pipeline''; December 10, 2010.]</ref><ref>[http://www.hillsborofreepress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18094441:county-ask-transcanada-for-pipeline-emergency-plan&catid=49&Itemid=32 Keystone Pipeline - ''County ask TransCanada for pipeline emergency plan''; Hillsboro Free Press; February 15, 2011.]</ref>  A pumping station named ''Burns'' was built two miles north of [[Potwin, Kansas|Potwin]].<ref>[http://www.entrix.com/keystone/XL/May192010/Appendix%20B/PS-29.pdf Keystone Pipeline - Burns Pumping Station - New Powerline Map; Trow Engineering Consultants and TransCanda; 2010.]</ref>

On August 15. 2023 police chief Joel Justice Womochil was arrested for possessing child pornography. He had been chief since February 8, 2022 but resigned on August 8.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stavola |first1=Michael |title=Kansas police chief resigns days before felony charges of possessing child porn: records |url=https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article278337259.html |access-date=19 August 2023 |publisher=[[The Wichita Eagle]] |date=17 August 2023}}</ref>