History

     A survey was made in 1881 to plot the right-of-way for a railroad through Mississippi County. The head surveyor, a Mr. Hibbard, designated today’s East Prairie as Hibbard Switch. Families started to settle along the tracks in Hibbard Switch, which was soon founded as the Village of Hibbard.

     Dr. Samuel Martin operated a store about a mile north of the village, which also contained a post office. Since the store was located on the eastern edge of an area known as Big Prairie, the area of the post office and store came to be called “East Prairie”.

     In 1883, Samuel Martin moved his store and the post office to Hibbard. Upon moving the “East Prairie Post Office” to Hibbard, much confusion ensued. Those who used the post office for mail delivery were required to specifically use the East Prairie Post Office, which was no longer in East Prairie. After several attempts by village leaders to persuade the U.S. Postal Service to change the name of the post office to Hibbard Post Office, it was determined to be simply easier to change the name of the village “East Prairie”, and it was incorporated by the State of Missouri as the City of East Prairie in 1883.

     Adjacent is a photograph of Dr. Samuel Martin’s store and post office, which was the first business building constructed in East Prairie, in 1883. The store was on a site near the present-day museum, located at 221 E. Main Street.