Prairieton, Indiana
Unincorporated community
Vigo County's location in Indiana
Vigo County's location in Indiana
Prairieton is located in Vigo County, Indiana
Prairieton
Prairieton
Coordinates: 39°22′12″N 87°28′28″W / 39.37000°N 87.47444°W / 39.37000; -87.47444
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyVigo
TownshipPrairieton
Elevation
[1]
479 ft (146 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
47802
Area code(s)812, 930
FIPS code18-61758[2]
GNIS feature ID441563

Prairieton is an unincorporated community in Prairieton Township, Vigo County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[3] Today, due to its proximity to both Terre Haute's southern shopping district (along U.S. Route 41 for approximately two miles south of Interstate 70) and the Terre Haute Federal Penitentiary, it has mostly become a commuter town (State Road 63 provides Prairieton residents access to Terre Haute), with fewer than ten businesses within its "city limits".

Prairieton is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Prairieton was laid out July 22, 1837, by Robert Hoggatt. Situated on Honey Creek, the town also was on the old Vincennes wagon road. Moses Hoggatt had established a post office and store there around 1818,[4] and in its early years the town was known simply as Hoggatt's Store. Hoggatt and then his son Robert Hoggatt were the first shopkeepers. The Quakers were the predominating influence in this prairie in the pioneer days. It became incorporated as a town in 1870 and by 1890 had a population of approximately 236.[5]

A post office was established under the name Hoggatts in 1818. It was renamed to Prairieton in 1840, and is still currently in operation.[6]

References

  1. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "Prairieton, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  4. ^ Oakey, Charles Cochran (1908). Great Terre Haute and Vigo County. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. p. 130.
  5. ^ Bradsby, H.C. (1891). History of Vigo County, Indiana, with Biographical Selections. Chicago: S. B. Nelson & Co. p. 480.
  6. ^ "Vigo County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved July 14, 2016.


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