Prairie Lea, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prairie Lea, Texas
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 Prairie Lea, Texas
Location in Texas
Prairie Lea, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Caldwell |
| Elevation | 449 ft (139 m) |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 255 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
78661
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| Area code(s) | 512 |
| FIPS code | 48-59288 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1344514 |
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. 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. Sam Houston named the town for his future wife Margaret Lea Houston. 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.
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 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 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.
Education
The community's first school was organized in a log cabin in 1848 and was used for church services as well. A charter school called Prairie Lea Academy was established by a Masonic order in 1852 and then a school for girls called Prairie Lea Female Institute opened in 1860. It had a school in 1853 and another school was built by the Grange in 1878. Another school was established in 1890. A five-room school building was constructed in 1925. Higher enrollment caused the school to add five new classrooms the following year. By the 1940s, students in nearby Fentress and Stairtown attended the school. It was still the focus of community life in 1990 and was classified as a cooperative educational effort.
Today, Prairie Lea, including Fentress and Stairtown, are all served by the Prairie Lea Independent School District. There is only one campus, Prairie Lea School, and it serves students in grades Pre-kindergarten through twelfth. It is home to the Prairie Lea Indians.
Notable person
- Scott H. Biram, musician, was raised in the community.
Images for kids
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Prairie Lea Independent School District building
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US Post Office in Prairie Lea
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Tri-Community Civic Center building
