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History in
a Pecan Shell
One
of the last towns in Collin
County to be established, Prosper came into being as a stop on
the St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railroad in 1902. A post office
was granted the following year. The auspicious name is credited to
railroad officials. With every new railroad
town (at least in East, Central and Northern Texas) another town or
two disappeared. In Prosper’s case the disappearing community was
Rock Hill. Prosper incorporated in 1914 when their were 500 reported
residents. Prosper is included in the famed rich Blackland Prairie,
and thrived as a cotton producing
and shipping point.
Although the population dropped to 400 in the early 1920s, the town
was complete with paved roads, electricity and a water works. The
Great Depression took its toll on Prosper and by 1940 the population
reached a low of 271. It wasn’t until 1970 when the town broke the
1914 population figure. The population explosion of Dallas
and Collin Counties
in the 1990s included Prosper and the 2000 Census reported 2,097
residents. |
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Prosper
United Methodist Church
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, December 2007 |
Prosper
old car dealership?
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, December 2007 |
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Prosper, Texas
Forum
Subject: Prosper
Texas
My G-G-Great Grandfather Benjamin Naugle was awarded land in an area
just north of Prosper for his service with the Texas Rangers during
the Mexican War. Over the years, the town of Prosper would grow around
his farm.
My grandfather, Chester Hays married the granddaughter of Benjamin
Naugle and through marriage acquired large portions of the holdings.
At one time the homestead consisted of several hundred acres. Today
the land is covered with subdivisions. My cousin and her husband currently
live on four acres that is all of the original land still in the hands
of the family.
Chester Hays was married to Leta Robinson. They had two boys, Bill
Hays and Dennie Hays. Dennie Hays was my father. Uncle Bill became
the unofficial historian of Prosper, Texas and wrote several books
detailing the history of the town and its families. Bill Hays Middle
School in the Prosper ISD is named for him.
Chester Hays served as Mayor, School Board President and owned several
businesses in the city. In the early 1930s the outlaws Bonnie
and Clyde would occasionally stop in Prosper and buy gas from
his gas station.
As a child I remember the Prosper city limit sign showing a population
of 495 (in the 1970s) Last time I checked the population was near
100,000 with a 6A high school with two more being planned.
Fortunately the center of Prosper has remained unchanged from my childhood
as the growth has been mainly towards the expressway. - Donald Hays,
August 18, 2020 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
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