Trading Post, the first permanent white settlement in Linn county and one of the first in Kansas, is situated on the Marais des Cygnes river, about 6 miles north of Pleasanton. A trading post was established here about 1825 by Cyprian Chouteau, who carried on an extensive trade with the Indians. Soon after Kansas Territory was organized a number of pro-slavery men from Missouri settled in the vicinity of the trading post, which became their headquarters and the rendezvous of a number of the border ruffians. Montgomery raided the post and destroyed the whiskey kept on hand there in an attempt to drive such characters out of the country, but it continued to be used by Hamelton and his men until the cessation of the border warfare in the eastern counties. No town site was platted until 1865, when the Montgomery Town company was organized and laid out a town just east of the site of the trading post. It was not a success, however, and was abandoned.

Trading Post was laid out in 1866 by Dr. Massey and George Crawford. Previous to that time there was but one store, although a mill had been erected in 1857, and in 1858 Dr. Massey and a man named White opened a second store, near the bridge. Religious services were held out of doors at the post in 1856. A school house was built in 1865 and for a time Trading Post was a flourishing community with several general stores, etc. At the present time it has rural free delivery from Boicourt, and in 1910 had a population of 146.