~ Where We Live ~

While our city of Prairie Village is only about 50 years old, the area was settled long before the city came to be. The general area had been Shawnee Indian property, and Chief Tecumseh owned quite a lot of the acreage. Thomas Porter was one of the earliest settlers in 1858, and owned a large portion of the land now known as Prairie Village. The original Porter house was located where the Prairie Village shopping center now is situated on Mission Road. Several Porter family members had homes nearby.

A local statue located at Mission Road and Tomahawk is a visible reminder of the settlers who traveled the Santa Fe Trail through Kansas. The statue, dedicated in 1952, was the creation of artist Anna Belle Campbell Cartwright. It is reminiscent of the Madonna of the Trail statues located across the country in twelve states.

Visible in many places in Kansas, these wagon trail ruts have been protected by the city of Prairie Village. A segment of the Santa Fe Trail from nearby Westport crosses Harmon Park, near 77th and Delmar. A park exhibit interprets the ruts, carved out by hundreds of wagons crossing on the Trail.

In the early 1940s, local developer J. C. Nichols began purchasing property in the area and building homes. By the time World War II began, ninety-five homes had been constructed. Nichols had masterminded two very successful projects in Kansas City: Mission Hills subdivision, and the Country Club Plaza.

When World War II began, building ceased, but was resumed after the war ended. Nichols envisioned a completely self-contained residential and commercial city. The first business structure built was the Watkins Drug Store, which opened in 1948. By 1949 more than 1,000 homes had been built, and the National Homes Association named it the "Best Planned Community is America." In 1951 Prairie Village was ready for incorporation, and Ralph Brenizer was the first Mayor. He appointed seven members to be the first city council, and James R. Hoover served as the the first city attorney. Each had a salary of $1. They hired the first police chief and bought the first police car.

By 1957 Prairie Village was truly a first-class city. During this time, a special model home was built for exhibition by General Electric, in cooperation with area merchants. The "All Electric House" featured everything from an electric washer and dryer to a remote control to open and close the blinds. It was an experiment to determine whether electrical appliances were better than ones run by natural gas. People streamed in from all over the area to tour this revolutionary house. The house was later moved to the Johnson County Museum, where it can be toured today.

Today, Prairie Village has many lovely homes, apartments, and even retirement homes. The city features several municipal buildings as well as parks, recreation areas, shopping centers, and excellent schools. The population is approximately 22,000, with a median age of 41. In the 1950s there were thirteen churches, and today there are sixteen churches and one synagogue, representing nine denominations. Many races and nationalities call Prairie Village home.

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