 Prouty would leave Prairie City in 1868 and move to Topeka where he would found the Topeka "Journal" which would later merge to become the Topeka "Capital-Journal"

Prairie City was incorporated on February 4, 1859 and at one time had three general stores and three hotels.Prairie City was the rendezvous point for John Brown and his men the night before initiating the Battle of Black Jack.When the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Fort Gibson laid tracks through the area, there was a depot at Baldwin and two miles southwest at Prairie City.