Bourbon County borders on Missouri, and is in the third tier of Counties from the Indian Territory. The northern boundary of the county is three miles north of the 38th parallel of north latitude. It is bounded as follows: On the north by Linn County; on the east by Missouri; on the South by Crawford County and on the West by Neosho and Allen Counties. By the "Bogus Laws," its limits were defined as follows: beginning at the southeast corner of Linn County, thence south thirty miles; thence west twenty-four miles; thence north thirty miles; thence east twenty-four miles to the place of beginning. Within these limits were contained 720 square miles or 460,800 acres. Source: Cutler's History of the State of Kansas
County Seat: Fort Scott
Date organized: 1855
County History:
Historic Landmarks, State, National:
- Fort Scott National Historic Site (National Park Service website)
- Fort Scott National Cemetery (Older than Arlington)
County Historical Society:
Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County Kansas
Websites about the county: