Early history For many
millennia, the
Great Plains of
North America was inhabited by
nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the
Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of
North America. In 1762, after the
French and Indian War, France secretly ceded
New France to
Spain, 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 for 2.83
cents per
acre. From the 1820s to the 1870s, one of the most significant land routes in the United States was the
Santa Fe Trail. It was located approximately north of Burdick. A large stone stage station, named "Six Mile Stage Station" was built at this location as a rest stop. In 1863, Charles Atkinson witnessed a raid on this station conducted by approximately 600 Cheyenne Indians. DAR Marker #29 was dedicated on October 9, 1908 at this location. In 1854, the
Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861
Kansas became the 34th
U.S. state. In 1859,
Morris County was established within the
Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Burdick. In 1880, a Swedish settlement called
Linsdale was created, consisting of Swedish immigrants from Henry and Mercer counties of
Illinois. In 1887, the community name was changed to
Burdick, in honor of Miss Burdick, the sweetheart of a Santa Fe Railroad official. In 1887,
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line from
Neva (3 miles west of
Strong City) to
Superior, Nebraska. This branch line connects
Strong City,
Neva,
Rockland,
Diamond Springs, Burdick,
Lost Springs,
Jacobs,
Hope,
Navarre,
Enterprise,
Abilene,
Talmage,
Manchester,
Longford,
Oak Hill,
Miltonvale,
Aurora,
Huscher,
Concordia,
Kackley,
Courtland,
Webber,
Superior. In 2006, the line from
Neva to
Lost Springs was pulled but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". In 1996, the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged with
Burlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the current
BNSF Railway. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe". A post office was established in Burdick on August 29, 1887. ==Geography==