Prairie Lea, Texas

Prairie Lea, Texas
Unincorporated community
Prairie Lea
Prairie Lea
Coordinates: 29°43′57″N 97°45′13″W / 29.73250°N 97.75361°W / 29.73250; -97.75361Coordinates: 29°43′57″N 97°45′13″W / 29.73250°N 97.75361°W / 29.73250; -97.75361
Country United States
State Texas
County Caldwell
Elevation 449 ft (139 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 255
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 78661
Area code(s) 512
FIPS code 48-59288[1]
GNIS feature ID 1344514[2]

Prairie Lea is an unincorporated community in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 255 in 2000. It is part of the Austin–Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Prairie Lea is located at 29°43′57″N 97°45′13″W / 29.73250°N 97.75361°W / 29.73250; -97.75361. It is situated along State Highway 80 in southwestern Caldwell County, approximately six miles northwest of Luling and ten miles southwest of Lockhart. The nearest major city is Austin, located 44 miles to the north.

History

The community, Caldwell County's oldest, was built on the 1820 land grant of Joe Martin of Gonzales.[3] Sam Houston named the town for his future wife Margaret Lea Houston.[4] Edmund Bellinger, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto and Battle of Plum Creek, became Prairie Lea's first settler in 1839. Other early settlers were largely slave-holding families. Growth followed the establishment of a sawmill, gristmill, and gin by Thomas Mooney on the nearby San Marcos River.[3]

During the Civil War, men from Prairie Lea served with John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade and took part in the ill-fated Sibley Campaign in New Mexico Territory[5] An 1877 fire destroyed the community's business district. By 1884, Prairie Lea had a population of 100 with several businesses, two churches, and a school. By 1914, The number of residents had grown to 350.

Development of the nearby Luling oilfield[6] during the 1920s caused an increase in Prairie Lea's population. During the latter half of the twentieth century, the population slowly declined. By 1990, Prairie Lea was home to 100 residents. That number had risen to 255 in 2000 with eight businesses operating in the community.[3]

Education

Public education in the community of Prairie Lea is provided by the Prairie Lea Independent School District. The district has one campus, Prairie Lea School, that serves students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve. A five-room school building was constructed in 1925 and by the 1940s, students from the nearby communities of Fentress[7] and Stairtown[8] were attending Prairie Lea schools.

References

  1. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. 1 2 3 Stock, Barbara. "Prairie Lea, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  4. ↑ Seale, William. "Margaret Maffette Lea Houston". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  5. ↑ "Prairie Lea". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth. "Luling Oilfield". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "Fentress, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "Stairtown, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
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