19th century
For millennia, the land that is currently Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1855, Marion County, Kansas, where Burns is located, was founded.
In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence to El Dorado, and a station called Burns was built north of the present city of Burns. In 1881, the rail line was extended to Douglass, and later to Arkansas City. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence through Burns to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942. The original branch line connected Florence, Burns, De Graff, El Dorado, Augusta, Douglass, Rock, Akron, Winfield, Arkansas City.
At the present location, a city named St. Francis was platted on August 1880. When the town incorporated, they discovered the official city name of St. Francis was already taken, so they changed the name to Burns, and soon afterward, the train station was moved into the new city of Burns. The original station was named after a railroad company official.
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 2 miles north of Potwin
