The Baptist Church of Bunceton celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1987. It was organized October 30, 1887. It is only 19 years younger than the town which was platted in 1868 in the geographical center of Cooper County,

A railroad called the Osage Valley and Southern Kansas RR was due to begin operating between Boonville and Tipton in 1869, when Harvey Bunce of the Central National Bank of Boonville set aside ten acres of land in Kelly Township to build a town by the right-of-way. Thomas J. Parrish added ten more acres which adjoined in Palestine Township and were later incorporated into Kelly Township (named for Col. John Kelly, and early settler and veteran of the 1812 War).