The Blue Mound Town Company was organized and a town site surveyed in April, 1882. The first building on the town site was a store that was moved from a site three miles to the southeast, by D. J. & W. S. Alley. A second store was moved in May from Wall Street by the Innis Brothers, and was utilized as a hotel until they completed a new one the following month. A third building was erected for a shoe shop by T. H. Blise, and a blacksmith shop was moved to the fledgling town from the same site as the first store, three miles to the southeast.

The growth of the town was very rapid. On May 1, 1882, there was but one or two buildings on the town site; but, by October 1st, there were 56 buildings including three general stores, a hardware store, a furniture store, two blacksmith shops, a drugstore, harness shop, lumber yard, a hotel, and a population of nearly 200 people. The first school was opened October 2, 1882, by Miss M. E. Weatherbie teaching 30 students.

A few are residents, not knowing the exact location of where the railroad would run, laid out another possible townsite called Cross City  one mile northeast of Blue Mound. Mound City obviously won out as Cross City was never developed. In fact, by the turn of the century, Blue Mound would have two branches of the Missouri Pacific Railroad running through it. It developed into a small railroad center when the coal beds of southeastern Kansas were opened and Blue Mound became a prominent shipping point. By 1910, it was called home to 596. Primarily an agricultural community today, the small town supports about 275 people.

Centerville - An unincorporated community located about 12 miles northwest of Mound City, Centerville is situated on Sugar Creek. A post office opened on March 15, 1855 and continues to be open today. Primarily a farming community, it became a shipping and supply town for the area when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad came through. In 1910, it had a population of 175 people. We were unable to determine its current population. About three miles northeast of this small town is the St. Phillippine Duchesne Shrine, which marks the end of the Pottawatomie Trail of Death. Here, once stood St. Mary’s Mission, also referred to as the Sugar Creek Mission, which operated from 1839 to 1849. The site includes historical artifacts from the former St. Mary’s Sugar Creek Mission and settlement. It is located on 1525 Road, five miles west of Kansas Highway 7.

La Cygne - Situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the northeast part of Linn County, See full article HERE.

Linn Valley - The newest city in Linn County is Linn Valley, officially established on November 23, 1998. However, it got its start in the late 1970's as 2,400 acre private recreational and residential community called Linn Valley Lakes. Luring visitors from nearby Kansas City, some 40 miles to the north, and other surrounding areas, the resort included more than 5,000 lots and almost 400 camping spaces. Over the years, lots were sold, homes were built, and a number of amenities were developed including a 35-acre spring-fed lake, an 18-hole golf course, a campground, community center, clubhouse, and more.

Prior to establishing the city of Linn Valley, the development was managed by a Property Owners Association, but was governed by the county. Often, the Property Owners Association found itself hampered, and in some cases prohibited, from enforcing the covenants and by-laws of the association. As a result, property owners signed a petition requesting the incorporation of a city of the third class, which was established in November, 1998. At that time, the population of Linn Valley was about 375 residents. Today, the city has a police department, city hall, city officials, and a volunteer fire department.

The community offers a variety of year-round recreational activities and events, including boating, fishing, a restaurant, miniature golf course, tennis courts, swimming beach, swimming pool, and more. In addition to the main 135-acre lake, seven more lakes and ponds are located within the resort. Today the city is called home to 800 residents.

Mound City (county seat) - First called Sugar Mound, a post office was established on March 15, 1855. The town's name was changed to Mound City on February 1, 1859. See full article HERE.