Doniphan, one of the older villages of Doniphan county, is located in Wayne township on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R., 10 miles south of Troy, the county seat, and 7 miles from Atchison. It has express and telegraph offices and a money order postoffice with one rural route. The town is on the old site of the Kansas Indian village where Bourgmont established his headquarters in 1724. The Doniphan town company was organized in 1854, with T. H. Christopher as president; J. W. Foreman, treasurer; Dr. J. H. Crane, secretary; and S. K. Miller, G. W. H. Langdon, J. F. Foreman, Dr. L. A. Chambers and Felix Robidoux, trustees. The survey was made by J. F. Foreman in 1855 and the lots were put on sale. Previous to this a trading post under Joseph Utt had been maintained. The first building erected in the new town was the dwelling of James F. Foreman, the second a hotel known as the Doniphan House, kept by B. O'Driscoll. The first general store was opened by the Foreman Bros., the first drug store by Bowdell & Drury. George A. Cutler was the first physician and Col. D. M. Johnson the first lawyer. The postoffice was established in 1855 and at the first election, which was held that year, J. A. Vanarsdale and William Shaw were elected justices, and Joshua Saunders was elected constable. Samuel Collins, who set up the first sawmill in the spring of 1855, was killed that fall in a political quarrel by Patrick Laughlin.

In 1857 James H. Lane was made the president of the Doniphan town company. The government land office was located here in that year, but was subsequently taken to Kickapoo. At this time there were about 1,000 inhabitants in the town and it was an important political and commercial center.

The town was incorporated in 1869, and the following trustees appointed by the probate judge of the county: E. W. Stratton, I. N. Smallwood, Thomas H. Franklin, Adam Brenner and A. C. Low. The first council was organized with E. W. Stratton as presiding officer, L. A. Hoffman, town clerk, and T. H. Franklin, treasurer. The first school was taught in 1856 by Mrs. D. Frank. The population in 1910 was only 178.