They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and the charming town of Prosper, Texas, is a prime example of that. While the town itself is more quaint and cozy than it is big, it’s known by many as a “small town with big heart.” It’s also big on business, activities, and appeal.
Prosper has parks and trails. It has dining and nightlife. It has plenty of things to do. But have you ever wondered how Prosper came to be the fine city that it is today? Brought to you by Longo Toyota of Prosper, here’s the history of the town you love.
Live Long and Prosper
Image via Flickr by Colby Nate
The area that would later become Prosper, Texas, was first settled back in 1846. It began as two separate communities, which were called Rock Hill and Richland. The soil there was rich, and land was cheap — farmers grew and sold cotton, and land could be bought for as little as $3.50 per acre.
The area began to be built up, gaining momentum when the county courts pushed for a quick sale of land plots for development. But it was the railroads that really put Prosper on the map. When the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway opened in Texas in 1902, Prosper was conveniently located along the route, approximately halfway between Dallas and Sherman. That was the same year that Rock Hill and Richland combined their land and resources to become a single town.
You Name It!
As this new town came into being in 1902, it still needed a name. Officials wanted to carry over the name Richland from the Rock Hill/Richland merger. However, they soon discovered that another Richland had beaten them to the punch — there was already a town called Richland elsewhere in Texas, which had been founded many years before Prosper. So the new community remained nameless.
To rectify the problem, the postmaster at the time sent out a query to the townspeople to help officially name the town and his newly established post office. A man known as J.C. Slaughter came forward. He said that since the crops had been especially prosperous that year, why didn’t they dub the town Prosper? The name stuck, and so did that outlook because the little town prospered indeed.
Everyone and Their Uncas
It wasn’t until 12 years later, in 1914, that Prosper was incorporated. The town had a population of just 500 at that point. With the incorporation of the town, they also elected their very first mayor. Although they called him U.N. Clary for short, the mayor’s full name of Uncas Norvell Clary won him a place on the list of “strangest names in political history.”
Nearly as unique as his name is his story: Not only did Clary serve as mayor for a whopping 49 years, but he was also involved in the management of the Prosper State Bank for 56 years until his retirement in 1965.
Getting Down to Business
Image via Flickr by Colby Nate
In the beginning, Prosper built its success on the cotton and grain industries, including corn and wheat. Just how well the town was doing fluctuated, depending on what the going rate of these various cash crops was at the time. In its heyday, Prosper was cranking out 3,000 to 4,000 bales of cotton annually, which it shipped around the world, along with 75,000 bushels of wheat and dairy products worth thousands of dollars. Several different mills were built in Prosper to process the grains. The town also served as a shipping center for nearby farms.
Once the automobile began to be more commonplace, greater numbers of people traveled in and out of Prosper. Some just passed through, while many stayed and helped develop the area. Improvements in farming and the invention of mechanical farming equipment also bolstered the economy of Prosper. The population grew very slowly, however. Even in 1980, the city still had only 675 residents. But between 2010 and 2020, Prosper saw a 201% growth spurt in its population, and today over 31,000 people call Prosper home.
Old School
The first school opened the same year that Prosper officially became Prosper, in 1902. It had just a handful of teachers and 100 students — a fifth of the town’s total population at the time. That original little schoolhouse was sold in 1910 and later became a hotel. To replace it, they built a two-story red brick school building and brought in two additional teachers. Sadly, that school burned down in 1923. The next school to come along was also brick but had nine classrooms and a spacious auditorium.
Prosper’s academic facilities have come a long way since then. The present-day high school is a 590,000-square-foot educational palace with nearly 3,000 students. It cost over $113 million to build and includes a medical tech lab, a broadcast studio, and a greenhouse, along with a restaurant fit for a chef and an indoor football field. Go Eagles!
Prosper Independent School District Traditions
Prosper in the Present
Located about 32 miles from the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and 35 miles from downtown Dallas, Prosper owes some of its current prosperity to its position within the greater Dallas metropolitan area. In fact, with its location and connections to Dallas public transportation, Prosper is now considered a suburb of Dallas. It was even named the fifth best suburb in the Dallas area by D Magazine in 2010.
Prosper residents pride themselves on striving for excellence and maintaining a good quality of life, where families and people are important. They live by the town motto of “A place where everyone matters.” Many businesses thrive here, and Prosper is home to a wide range of industries. Job opportunities abound, and there are an estimated 1.75 million available workers within a 25-mile radius of the town.
The city covers an area of just 22 square miles and is laid out to present a visually pleasing, open plan.
Now you know a little bit more about the fine town of Prosper, thanks to Longo Toyota. Did we overlook any important information about this town’s background? Do you know of any other fun facts about Prosper’s vibrant history that we didn’t include here? If so, please contact us, and we’ll be sure to update our facts.
In the meantime, jump in your favorite Toyota, take it for a spin and check out the many sights and places that Prosper has to offer.
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