Mullins Prairie

Mullins Prairie is located on Farm Road 155 about six miles southeast of La Grange in eastern Fayette County. Farmers first settled the fertile lands near the Colorado River in the late 1800s. Early pioneers in the area included the Mercer, Riser, and Walker families. In the 1890s a one-room school served the children of the region, and by the early 1900s Mullins Prairie also had a school for African-American students. A school census for the year 1934–35 recorded 46 White students, but Mullins Prairie closed in 1947 and eventually consolidated with the La Grange Independent School District. Highway maps in 1936 showed a church, factory, and scattered farms in the area. Resident Anton Elias operated a store and cotton gin in 1939. Edward Naiser purchased the store and constructed a larger business in 1950. The establishment became a social meeting place in Mullins Prairie with such events as domino tournaments and turkey shoots. The area also supported gravel and sand industries. Realtors promoted the River Colony subdivision just down the road from the general store in 1969, which consisted of a few homes, clubhouse, swimming pool, and office but ultimately experienced very modest expansion. By the mid-1990s the Mullins Prairie store was the only business in the community, which reported a population of 52 in 2000. Mullins Prairie Cemetery is located two miles south of town.