Prairie Village
| Prairie Village, Kansas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location within Johnson County and Kansas |
|
 KDOT map of Johnson County (legend) |
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| Coordinates: 38°59′23″N 94°38′10″W / 38.98972°N 94.63611°WCoordinates: 38°59′23″N 94°38′10″W / 38.98972°N 94.63611°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Johnson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.21 sq mi (16.08 km2) |
| • Land | 6.20 sq mi (16.06 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 988 ft (301 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 21,447 |
| • Estimate (2016) | 21,805 |
| • Density | 3,500/sq mi (1,300/km2) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code | 913 |
| FIPS code | 20-57575 |
| GNIS ID | 0479232 |
| Website | PVkansas.com |
Prairie Village is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 21,447.
After the successful development of the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, J. C. Nichols turned toward development of his native Johnson County, just a few miles from the Plaza. Prairie Village was platted in 1941 and was named after Prairie School, which was established for almost a century before. In 1949, Prairie Village was named the best planned community in America by the National Association of Home Builders. It was officially recognized as a city in 1951.
Remnants of the Santa Fe Trail are found in the city.
Shawnee, Osage, and Kansa Indians formerly owned the land now developed into the City of Prairie Village. As settlers and pioneers headed west, one family decided to make Prairie Village their home. In 1858, Thomas Porter bought 160 acres of farmland. Porter’s children were all raised on this farmland and were engaged in agricultural development and civic affairs.
It wasn’t just the Porter family who helped to make Prairie Village home. Porter’s sister, Betty Porter, married Thompson A. Lewis who owned 80 acres between Mission and Roe. Henry Coppock arrived in Johnson County, in 1857, before heading further west to work in freighting and farming. He came back in the mid-1860s and bought land in 1865. Coppock built his family home on 900 acres in Prairie Village. Coppocks’s home stood for 30 years. Now on his land is Homestead County Club.
The original Prairie School was built in 1882 and a new building was constructed in 1912. This landmark was a community treasure until 1990.
In the 1940s, J.C. Nichols, an experienced developer, wanted to turn the farmland into suburban housing for soldiers returning home from the war. Nichols bought the farmland from the Porters, Coppocks, and Lewises. There were hurdles along the way including a lack of experienced builders post World War II, but this didn’t stop Nichols from pursuing his goal.
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Wikipedia