[2] In the earliest days of the community, some called it "Coal Creek", due to deposits of the sedimentary rock in a nearby waterway.

[3] The settlement eventually earned the name "Vineland" (after the orchard of one of the first settlers, William Barnes), which later evolved into "Vinland" after a clerical error.

Most of the settlers of the early community were abolitionists or Free-Staters from New England, and consequently, they opposed the extension of slavery into Kansas Territory.

"[3] The library initially boasted a collection 10 books (which eventually grew to over 2,000), and residents of the small town were allowed to check them out if they contributed an annual fee of 50 cents.

[2] Today, the Vinland Grange Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.