Burns is a city in Marion County,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 234. The city name came from a nearby train station, which was named prior to the city being incorporated. It is located between El Dorado and

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

along the west side of U.S. Route 77 highway. The southern edge of the city is the border between Marion and Butler counties.

History

Early history

For many millennia, the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

claimed ownership of large parts of

. In 1762, after the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, France secretly ceded

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...

for 2.83 cents per

acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

. In 1854, the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

was organized, then in 1861

became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Marion County was established within the

, which included the land for modern day Burns. In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from

to El Dorado, and a station called Burns was built north of the present city location. In 1881, the rail line was extended to Douglass, then later to Arkansas City.''Marion County Kansas : Past and Present''; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from

through Burns to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942.Railway Abandonment 1942
/ref> The original branch line connected

through El Dorado to 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 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. A post office was established in Burns on November 30, 1880.

20th century

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.

21st century

In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed 6.5 miles west of Burns, north to south through Marion County, with much controversy over road damage, tax exemption, and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs). A pumping station named ''Burns'' was built two miles north of Potwin. 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.

Geography

Burns is located in the scenic Flint Hills and

of the state of

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The southern city boundary of Burns is the county line shared between Marion and Butler counties.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Burns has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 234 people, 83 households, and 56 families in Burns. The population density was 680.2 per square mile (262.6/km). There were 104 housing units at an average density of 302.3 per square mile (116.7/km). The racial makeup was 96.58% (226)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(96.58%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 0.0% (0)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

or African-American, 0.0% (0) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.0% (0) Asian, 0.0% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 0.0% (0) from other races, and 3.42% (8) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 0.43% (1) of the population. Of the 83 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18; 49.4% were married couples living together; 22.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 25.3% of households consisted of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.3 and the average family size was 3.6. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 6.8% of the population. 29.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 102.5 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $59,167 (with a margin of error of +/- $14,882) and the median family income was $67,083 (+/- $8,721). Males had a median income of $41,250 (+/- $13,531) versus $20,625 (+/- $11,752) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,333 (+/- $5,497). Approximately, 11.8% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 23.4% of those under the age of 18 and 13.8% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 228 people, 93 households, and 59 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 112 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.4%

, and 0.9% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 93 households, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age in the city was 38 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.9% male and 46.1% female.

Government

The Burns government consists of a mayor and five council members. The council meets once a month. As of January 2022, the mayor is Mike Hammann.Government; City of Burns.
/ref>

Education

Public

The community is served by Peabody–Burns USD 398 public school district. All students attend schools in Peabody at two schools: * Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School, located in Peabody. * Peabody-Burns Elementary School, located in Peabody. ;Peabody-Burns High School Sports Championships * 1977, 2nd Place, Class 2A, High School Boys Football, Head Coach Dennis Franchione. ;Historical Burns Schools * Burns High School, southeast corner of Main and Cincinnati. It was closed in 1965 as a result of statewide school district consolidation, then converted into the ''Burns Community Museum''. The school mascot was Burns Hornets. It was the first consolidated grade school and high school in Kansas, and was the first to use a school "bus" in Kansas, which were special-order

wagon A wagon (or waggon) is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by Working animal#Draft animals, draft animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are i ...

s in 1904. It is currently listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP). ( NRHP), * Burns Elementary & Junior High School, southwest corner of Main and Church. It was closed in 1997 due to the lack of funds, then demolished. ;Burns High School Sports Championships * 1953, Class B, 1st Place, High School Boys Basketball, Head Coach Harvey Loy.

Private

* Eden Christian School, Private

Mennonite Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

Grade School, approximately 3 miles south of Burns.

Library

The city is served by the Burns Public Library at 104 North Washington Avenue. The library is a member of the North Central Kansas Libraries System.

Media

Print

* '' Peabody Gazette-Bulletin'', local newspaper for Burns,

, Peabody. * '' Hillsboro Free Press'', free newspaper for greater Marion County area. * '' The El Dorado Times'', regional newspaper from El Dorado.

Radio

Burns is served by numerous radio stations of the Wichita- Hutchinson listening market area, and satellite radio. See '' Media in Wichita, Kansas''.

Television

Burns is served by over-the-air ATSC digital TV of the Wichita- Hutchinson viewing market area,

cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television broadcast programming, programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This ...

by Allegiance Communications, and satellite TV. See '' Media in Wichita, Kansas''.

Film

* Mars Attacks!, 1996 comedy science fiction movie, the ''Perkinsville'' scenes from this movie was filmed around Burns, such as the bus stop scene, cemetery scene, donut shop scenes, and trailer park scenes. The beginning cattle segment was filmed near Leon, and the retirement community was filmed in northeast Wichita. A city sign next to the highway was given to the city by Warner Brothers company.Mars Attacks - Film Locations.
/ref>

Infrastructure

Transportation

U.S. 77 highway runs north-south on the east side of Burns, and follows roughly parallel to the old railway.

References

External links

*
Burns - Directory of Public Officials
League of Kansas Municipalities
Historic Images of Burns
Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library.
Topo Map of Burns area
USGS {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Marion County, Kansas Populated places established in 1880 1880 establishments in Kansas