Prairie Dell, Texas

Prairie Dell is an unincorporated community in Bell County, Texas, United States.[1] According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 12 in 2000. The community is part of the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan area.

Prairie Dell, Texas
Unincorporated community
Prairie Dell is located in Texas
Prairie Dell
Prairie Dell
Prairie Dell is located in the United States
Prairie Dell
Prairie Dell
Coordinates: 30°53′03″N 97°34′49″W
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyBell
Elevation
758 ft (231 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code254
GNIS feature ID1365725[1]

History

Prairie Dell had a country store on a trail from South Texas to Kansas that herded cattle in the late 1860s. A post office was established at Prairie Dell in 1877, closed that next year, then reopened in 1893. There were 75 residents served by two Baptist churches, one Presbyterian church, two general stores, a drugstore, a mill and gin, and a blacksmith shop in 1896. The community's population zenith was said to be 134 in 1904. There were two churches and one business in Prairie Dell in 1948. The population dropped to 20 in 1964. There was one church left in the community in 1990 and had a population of 12 in 2000.[2]

Geography

Prairie Dell is located on Texas State Highway 35, 13 mi (21 km) south of Belton in south-central Bell County.[2] It is also located 21 mi (34 km) south of Temple.[3]

Education

In 1903, Prairie Dell had a school with 129 students and two teachers, making it one of the largest schools in the county. It had two schools in 1948.[2] Today, the community is served by the Belton Independent School District.

The climax to the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was filmed at the closed Matterhorn amusement park in Prairie Dell.[4]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Prairie Dell, Texas
  2. "Prairie Dell, Texas". The Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
  3. "Prairie Dell, Texas". Texas Escapes Online Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  4. Coppedge, Clay (September 24, 2004). "Tranquil setting belies past: PRAIRIE DELL". Texas Escapes. Blueprints for Travel. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
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