La Cygne, the third largest town in Linn county, is situated in the northeastern portion on the Marais des Cygnes river and the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. The town was started in 1869 as soon as the people were assured of the building of the railroad. A town company was organized and purchased 1,400 acres of land, but had only 140 acres laid out as a town site. La Cygne was incorporated as a village on Jan. 14, 1870, and a board of trustees was appointed. In the fall of that year the town had grown so that it had inhabitants enough to organize as a city of the third class, and F. A. Foote was elected the first mayor. The first school was taught in 1869 in Cady's hall. It was a private subscription school and was kept open until 1870, when the public school house was built. It was a commodious two-story brick building containing the graded and high schools. At the present time La Cygne has an excellent public school system. The Methodist church perfected an organization in 1870 and soon after a house of worship. The Presbyterian church was organized the same year but had no building for a year afterward. At an early date La Cygne became a manufacturing point. A flour mill was built in 1870; a bank was started in 1871; the La Cygne organ factory was another early commercial enterprise, but it did not flourish. In 1881 a coal mine was opened, since which time La Cygne has become an important point for this industry. The first newspaper in the town was the Weekly Journal, which first appeared in June, 1870.

At the present time La Cygne has a number of business blocks and beautiful homes, and in 1910 had a population of 957.