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History
in a Pecan shell
(An informal history of Boone Prairie)
Settled in 1872, A. A.
Hayes, storekeeper and first postmaster submitted his name to the postal authorities
in 1880 for the new post office.
In 1885 the town had 30 residents, a
school and combination gristmill / cotton gin. Six years later the population
had 20 more people and the gristmill / cotton gin had enough customers to allow
the opening of another gin and gristmill. Boone Prairians loved their grist. In
1892 a third doctor joined the two that were already practicing there.
The name change occured around 1900. The post office closed in 1906. Keeping with
a tradition of duplication and confusion, they divided the town into East Boone
Prairie and West Boone Prairie, maintaining separate schools. The distinction
may well have been based on race. At least one map continued to list the town
as Hayes as late as 1942 when the town reportedly had 25 citizens, one store and
two cemeteries. Revised maps show the division of East and West Boone Prairie.
Today only the cemeteries, a few houses and the Hayes Church are all
that remain of Hayes.
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