Editing Prairie Village, Kansas (section)

== History ==
{{See also|History of Kansas}}

After the successful development of the [[Country Club Plaza]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], real estate magnate [[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 almost a century before. In 1949, Prairie Village was named the best planned community in America by the [[National Association of Home Builders]]. It incorporated in 1951.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

Remnants of the [[Santa Fe Trail]] are found in the city.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

[[Shawnee]], [[Osage Nation|Osage]], and [[Kaw people|Kansa]] Indians formerly inhabited the land now developed into the City of Prairie Village. In 1858, Thomas Porter bought 160 acres of farmland in what is now Prairie Village; he raised all his children on that farmland and was involved in agricultural development and civic affairs.

Porter's sister, Betty Porter, married Thompson A. Lewis, who owned 80 acres between Mission Road and Roe Avenue.

Henry Coppock arrived in Johnson County in 1857, before heading farther 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. Coppock's house 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 when it was struck by a bolt of lightning during a storm. The east entrance of the 1912 building still stands at the remodeled school.

In the 1940s, J.C. Nichols, an experienced developer, wanted to turn the farmland into suburban housing for white soldiers returning home from the war. Nichols bought farmland from the Porters, Coppocks, and Lewises. There were hurdles along the way including a lack of experienced builders after World War II, but this didn't stop Nichols from pursuing his goal.

Prairie Village continued to expand as the Prairie Village Shopping Center opened in 1947 and the Corinth Square Shopping Center opened in 1955, with subdivisions including Corinth Hills, Corinth Meadows, Corinth Estates, Somerset Hills, Ridgeview Heights, Town & Country Estates, Calvin Crest, Prairie Hills, Prairie Fields and Prairie Ridge, to name a few.