Community Information - History

Bonner Springs is reputed to be the first commercial center and white settlement in Kansas. This began in the year 1812 when Francis and Cyprian Chouteau established a trading post called Four Houses. Some ten to fifteen years later, the Chouteau Trading Post was abandoned. As settlements grew in the territory, an Indian named Henry Tiblow started a ferry service across the Kansas River at Four Houses.

A railroad engineer named John W. McDanield changed the name of Four Houses to Tiblow. In 1885, Philo M. Clark platted the area east of Tiblow and succeeded in changing the name of Tiblow to Bonner Springs. The name "Bonner" was in tribute to Robert Bonner, then the editor of the New York Ledger, a friend of Clark. The “Springs” was included due to the multitude of springs existing in the area at that time.

In 1898, Bonner Springs was granted incorporation rights. A Mayor-Council system of government was created with Philo M. Clark holding the position of the first mayor.

In February of 1969, a petition was presented to the City Council requesting that a proposal be placed on the April 1, 1969, city election ballot to change to a Mayor-Council-Manager form of government. The proposal to change the form of government was passed by the voters of Bonner Springs in June 1969. The Mayor, Marion Vaughn, was appointed acting city manager by the City Council. In February 1970, Randy Gustafson was hired as the first city manager and remained in that position until he resigned in 1977. In June 1977, Bob Evans was hired as the second city manager. He served for fourteen years until his resignation in November 1991. In May 1992, Tom Cooley was appointed as the third city manager and held the position until December 1998. In January 1999, Weldon Padgett was appointed as the fourth city manager. John Helin became the fifth city manager in July 2002 and is still serving in that position.