Mapleton, a village of Bourbon county, is situated near the Little Osage river on the Missouri Pacific R. R. 19 miles northwest of Fort Scott, the county seat. It is one of the oldest settlements in the county, having been located in May, 1857, by a company of men from New England. They abandoned it and a company of western men was formed, known as the Eldora Town company, which preëmpted the abandoned site. The town was called Eldora for a time, the name being changed to Mapleton because the postoffice had been established there in 1857 under that name. The first store was opened in 1858 and the following year a mill was built on the Osage river south of the town. In 1910 Mapleton had 3 general stores, a blacksmith and wagon shop, a money order postoffice, express and telegraph facilities, and a population of 275.