Editing Louisburg, Kansas (section)

===19th century===
Prior to the [[American Civil War]], the land of what is now called Louisburg was part of an area reserved for members of various tribes of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] who were ceding their lands in [[Missouri]], [[Illinois]], and [[Indiana]].<ref name="ROOT">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~itquapaw/illinois/illinois.html
|title=The Tribes of the Illinois Confederacy|accessdate=2010-12-30| publisher=rootswebancestry.com}}</ref> Settling there were the [[Peoria (tribe)|Peoria]], [[Wea]], [[Piankeshaw]], and [[Kaskaskia]] tribes<ref name="LBCOC">{{Cite web|url=http://louisburgkansas.com/history-of-louisburg
|title=History of Louisburg|accessdate=2010-12-30| publisher=Louisburg Chamber of Commerce}}</ref> which together eventually became the Confederated Tribe of Peoria.<ref name="ROOT"/> Traders and [[missionary|missionaries]] often visited the area, and by 1854 Euro-American farmers began moving nearby, establishing homes.<ref name="LBCOC"/>
Upon the organization of the state of [[Kansas]] in 1861, the Confederated Tribes were being charged with taxes, and the new state laws conflicted with their own. By 1866, following the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the government moved the Confederated Tribe of Peoria to [[Oklahoma]],<ref name="ROOT"/> and the land they once occupied was sold to settlers.<ref name="LBCOC"/> A community of homes resulted by 1867, and was called St. Louis. Soon, it was often referred to as '''New St. Louis''' or '''Little St. Louis''' in an effort to distinguish it from [[St. Louis]].

From 1868 to 1870, the settlement of Little St. Louis grew to include businesses and churches, and a [[railroad station|railroad depot]] was to be completed. Because the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad (MKT Railroad) would be coming to serve the community, and to avoid additional confusion, Little St. Louis was renamed '''Louisburg''' in 1870. The railroad depot was completed by 1871, and Louisburg's first school opened the same year.<ref name="LBCTY">{{Cite web|url=http://www.louisburgks.net/history.html|title=Louisburg Kansas The Early Years|accessdate=2010-12-30| publisher=City of Louisburg}}</ref> The community had some disorder during this time. As a town near the border, there remained conflicts between [[Jayhawker|Kansas Jayhawkers]] and [[Quantrill's Raiders|Missouri Raiders]]. In addition, the railroad tracks running through the community divided it into north and south areas. ''Circa'' 1875, many businesses and homes were moved from north of the railroad to the south, and formed what was to become downtown Louisburg.<ref name=MCVG8>"Miami County 2008 Visitors Guide", pages 8-9</ref>

Louisburg was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] as a city of the third class November 3, 1882, and held its first city election two weeks later on November 17, 1882.  The population was listed as 400, and 141 of those residents voted in the first election.<ref name="LBCTY"/>