Gardner, the third largest town in Johnson county, is located in the southwest portion on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. 9 miles southwest of Olathe, the county seat. It was surveyed and laid out in 1857 by O. G. Gardner, Benjamin B. Francis, A. B. Bartlett and others who composed the town company, and was named in honor of Gov. Gardner of Massachusetts. The first building was a large frame structure, erected by the town company for temporary use. The first hotel was kept by Benjamin Davis in a small log building, subsequently he built a frame hotel and in the spring of 1857 the town company built a stone hotel building. Dr. W. M. Shean, the first physician, located in Gardner in 1857, and in the fall of the year a blacksmith shop was opened. J. W. Sponable opened the first store in the spring of 1858. A second store soon followed and a shoe shop was also started. Myra D. Shean taught the first school. In 1861 a stone school house was erected. The Methodists became established in Gardner in 1857, but did not build a church until 1878. A Presbyterian church was erected in 1858. A library association was formed in 1862. On Oct. 21, 1861, Gardner was sacked by a band of guerrillas, under Upton Hays. With the building of the railroad the town began to prosper and today is the banking, shipping and supply point for a rich and large agricultural district. There are several general stores, a hardware and implement house, lumber yard, hotel, and other commercial enterprises, a money order postoffice, telegraph and express facilities, and in 1910 Gardner reported a population of 514.