Prosper is located in Collin and Denton counties in Texas, United States. The first settlers in the town arrived in 1846. Two settlements existed between 1850 and 1902 – Richland that was 1 mile north of Prosper and Rock Hill that was 2 miles south. These small communities grew quickly in 1876 when small areas of land were put up by County Courts for quick sale. The towns merged in March 1902 during the establishment of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad. Prosper became the central stop for the railroad between Sherman and Dallas for many years. The name “Prosper” was suggested by J.C. Slaughter because the crops had been extremely prosperous that year. In 1914, the town was incorporated.
The Great Depression halted the community’s growth. The population of the town was only 271 in 1940, and it continued to drop until the late 1950s. By 1970, the population had increased to 501. The number of residents increased to 675 by 1980. The population was 1,018 in 1990 and 2,097 in 2000. Prosper got the 5th spot in the D Magazine 2010 Best Suburbs List.
Things to Do in Prosper
There are a lot of things that you can do in and around Prosper. The Prosper Founders Fest is held in May every year. It celebrates Prosper’s history, arts, and people. Several activities are held, including an art show, Sunday Family Fellowship, music festival, 5K race and super Fire Department’s Barbecue Cookoff. The town doesn’t offer much when it comes to entertainment, but it has plenty of wide open space.
Prosper High School is one of the impressive sights in town. The 590,000 sq ft building cost $113.5 million to build. It has a greenhouse, indoor football practice facility, medical tech lab, luxurious kitchen and broadcast studio. If you’re looking for a restaurant, you can try Ernesto’s Mexican Restaurant.
You can visit downtown Prosper to experience what small town business is about. Downtown Prosper is packed with one-story buildings that fit perfectly with the town’s available space. The municipal courthouse and a real estate office are located in the same building. You can also visit Palio’s Pizza Café or Cotton Gin Café. The latter serves a country breakfast that consists of hash browns, biscuits, gravy, eggs, sausage or bacon. It serves chicken fried steak, pork tenderloin sandwich, pecan pie and pumpkin cake as well.
There are also attractions near the town of Prosper. One of these is Cedar Grove Park. It offers a nice biking and hiking loop. The scenic view is perfect for relaxing. There are also plenty of wooded areas and nice open spots where kids can play and run. Frontier Park is worthy of being included in your must-visit list. It’s a large park with a playground, picnic areas, sports fields and open areas. The park is perfect for people of all ages. The parking is also adjacent, so you won’t have a problem when parking your vehicle. If you are looking for a place where you can relax and have fun with your family, you should visit these parks.
