Bonner Springs, KS

European commercial activity on the site dates to 1812, when the Chouteau brothers, French fur traders from St. Louis, built a trading post called 'Four Houses' - log structures set around a square - widely held to be the first business center and permanent European settlement in Kansas. The modern town was platted in November 1870 by John W. McDaniel and his wife Ellen, who named it Tiblow. source 1 source 2

The name. The settlement was first called Four Houses, then Tiblow, for Henry Tiblow, a Delaware man who operated the Kansas River ferry from about 1830 - a crossing profitable enough to take $2.50 for a team, wagon and man and $1.25 for a single, reportedly $75 a day for weeks at a stretch. In 1885 Philo M. Clark bought 300 acres from McDaniel and organized the Bonner Springs Town Company; on July 9, 1886 the name was changed to Bonner Springs - 'Bonner' for Robert Bonner, publisher of the New York Ledger and a trotting-horse breeder whom Clark hoped would fund a racetrack, and 'Springs' for the local mineral springs. The racetrack was never built. source

Incorporated as a third-class city, with Philo Clark as first mayor. source 1 source 2

1. 1812The Chouteau brothers establish the 'Four Houses' trading post - held to be the first commercial center and permanent European settlement in what is now Kansas. source
2. 1830Henry Tiblow, a Delaware man, takes charge of the Kansas River ferry; a daily Leavenworth-Fort Scott stagecoach route crosses here and the settlement becomes known as Tiblow Landing. source
3. 1886Philo Clark's town company builds the three-story Coronado Hotel beside a fifteen-acre artificial lake, opening in June 1886 at a cost of $10,000, as part of a plan to turn the mineral springs into a resort. In 1907 the Bonner Springs Improvement Club published a brochure promoting the town as the 'Kansas Karlsbad'. source
4. 1907Discovery of natural gas brings industry: the Bonner Portland Cement Company opened a plant east of town capable of 2,500 barrels a day, and a brick plant also operated locally. An interurban electric line to Kansas City opened in December 1907 and was completed in June 1908. source
5. 1908A fire in October destroys 19 to 21 businesses, causing more than $70,000 in damage before bucket brigades bring it under control. source
6. 1997Wyandotte County voters approve consolidation of the county with Kansas City, Kansas; Bonner Springs and Edwardsville keep their own city governments. source

The median home sold here was built in 1978. Most of what sells was built between 1930 and 2010. That closely matches the Census figure of 1979 for all housing, so sales are broadly representative of the stock. 55% of sales included finished basement space beyond the above-grade footprint - which matters here, because square footage quoted above grade can understate a house considerably.

By property type, sales broke down as Single Family (126), Townhouse (3), Half Duplex (1).

Governance point worth getting right: Bonner Springs is a separately incorporated city with its own mayor and council. It sits in Wyandotte County and its residents elect representatives to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (consolidated by voter approval in 1997), but it did not merge into that consolidation and relies on the Unified Government only for county services. A Bonner Springs address is not a Kansas City, Kansas address. source

Azura Amphitheater, an 18,000-capacity open-air venue that opened in 1984 as Sandstone Amphitheater. It shares its grounds with the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, which runs for seven weekends beginning Labor Day weekend, and adjoins Wyandotte County Park. source 1 source 2

The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, at 630 Hall of Fame Drive, a museum devoted to the history of American farming. source 1 source 2

Moon Marble Company, a shop where visitors can watch marbles being made. source

Azura Amphitheater

18,000-capacity open-air music venue, opened 1984 as Sandstone Amphitheater. source

Kansas City Renaissance Festival grounds

Permanent festival village adjoining the amphitheater, open for seven weekends from Labor Day weekend. source

National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame

Agricultural museum at 630 Hall of Fame Drive. source

Wyandotte County Park

County park adjoining the amphitheater grounds, with a museum, archival library and community building. source

Sunflower Hills Golf Course

Municipal-area golf course opened in 1977. source

Schools

Bonner Springs-Edwardsville USD 204. boundaries do not follow city limits - the district is named for and serves both cities Confirm the assigned school for any specific address before you rely on it. source

Getting around

Interstates 70 and 435, US-24, US-40 and US-73, and state routes K-5, K-7 and K-32 all serve the city. Historically the Kansas Pacific Railroad (1865) and, from 1907-08, an interurban electric line to Kansas City. source 1 source 2

Gene Clark

Founding member of The Byrds (1944-1991), listed as from Bonner Springs source

Bobby Watson

Jazz saxophonist and composer, listed as from Bonner Springs source

Myra Taylor

Jazz singer (1917-2011), listed as from Bonner Springs source