The first north-Texas settlers arrived in the 1840s and proceeded to plant cotton on the rich, fertile soil where the town of Prosper would eventually be. At some point, the landowners defaulted on their loans, and the land reverted to the government. In 1876, the local government ordered the land to be sold to create communities for the settlers. Dr. A.T. Bryant purchased a majority of the land for about $3.50 per acre (roughly $84 in today’s dollar), and turned around and sold parcels to new residents. With the arrival of a railroad company who laid down tracks, the settlement was officially established in 1914, and the Texas town was given the name, Prosper.