The city of Linwood was once named after a Delaware Chief around which the following legend was interwoven: "At one time a young brave of the Delaware Tribe was captured by white traders and carried to a far away distance from the tribe. He eventually managed to excape and upon his long journey home, which was fraught with many dangers and hardships, he was forced to rely for subsistence upon a small cake of corn bread which he had concealed upon his person. Having arrived safely with his tribe and after telling his story, he was re-christened "Journey-Cake". This name was originally given to the city of Linwood owing to the close proximity within which Charles Journeycake lived to the city at the time of its establishment." (Eris Goff, Linwood, KS Centennial 1867-1967) The Journeycake family lived within a few miles of town, Charles Journeycake, Indian Statesman and Christian Leader was the last Delaware Chief before the tribe was absorbed by the Cherokees. He was born December 16, 1817 and died January 3, 1894.
The original town was platted June 21, 1867, and renamed Stranger, but owing to a mix-up in the mails with another town named Big Stranger, the name was changed to Linwood on December 20, 1877 and received its charter as an incorporated city of the third class on July 2, 1884.