Prairie City, Missouri facts for kids

Prairie City is a small, quiet place in southeast Bates County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It's called an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that doesn't have its own local government, like a mayor or city council. Instead, it's part of the larger county. Prairie City is about 11.5 miles east of a town called Rich Hill. The Harry S Truman Reservoir, a large lake, is right next to Prairie City on its south side.

History

Prairie City was officially started, or "laid out," in the year 1858. The people who founded it chose the name "Prairie City" because of its beautiful location. It was built on a wide, flat area of land covered in grass, which is known as a prairie.

In the same year, 1858, a post office was opened in Prairie City. A post office was very important back then because it was the main way people sent and received letters and packages. It helped connect the community with the rest of the world. The post office in Prairie City served the community for many years, but it eventually closed down in 1903.