Origin New Prague was laid out in 1856, and named after
Prague, the capital of Bohemia (now the
Czech Republic). The immigrants from Bohemia built the town of New Prague, and many of them identified as
Czechs. At the advice of
Catholic Bishop Rev. Joseph Cretin, Anton Philipp, a native German, first settled within the present limits of New Prague. In 1856 Philipp purchased 160 acres in
Helena Township, Scott County. Philipp did not make an
official plat of the town but began selling lots that same year, marking the beginning of New Prague. Several
Bohemian families came to the area shortly after Philipp arrived.
Late 19th century New Prague's early development was not spectacular for a variety of reasons. First, during the
Civil War years, 1861–1865,
European immigration almost stopped as European immigrants were naturally wary of the American Civil War. Second, located in the middle of the
Big Woods, the enormous challenge of clearing fields proceeded at a slow pace. The town was known as Praha from 1872 to 1879. On March 1, 1877, state of Minnesota approved the incorporation of Praha as a
village. In 1879 the name was changed to Prague. One of the most important developments in the new village occurred in 1877 when the
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (M & St. L) reached New Prague. The arrival of the railroad era expedited
agriculture as New Prague's most important industry. A link with the outside world enabled farmers to send their commodities to markets and created a conduit to bring inventory to the village's businesses. Just four years after the M & St. L reached New Prague, the first
grain elevator and
flour mill were completed, marking the beginning of New Prague earning its nickname, the “Flour City.”
Czech immigration to the United States reached its peak during the 1880s with 62,000 coming to the United States during this decade. Along with
Montgomery, which is approximately eight miles south of New Prague, New Prague was becoming the center of “The Bohemian Triangle” of Minnesota covering parts of Scott, Le Sueur and
Rice counties, which are neighboring counties. Through the decades since 1856, Le Sueur County has had more Bohemians than any other county in the state. Construction was booming in the 1880s. The town's first bank opened in 1883, the
Czech-Slovak Protective Society (C. S. P. S.) Opera Hall was built, the New Prague
Foundry started business, the second
public school was built, and two
hotels were constructed. The village's name was changed from Prague to New Prague on February 25, 1884. The 1890s were New Prague's heyday decade. The town was becoming a major market for
farm produce and was providing goods and services for growing numbers of farmers and villagers for miles around. Streets were being
graded and
wooden sidewalks built along the streets. New Prague was incorporated as a city on April 4, 1891. New Prague Flouring Milling Company completed its mill in 1895.
Electric lights were installed in the city in 1895, and
telephone lines were installed in 1898. Similar to the rest of the state, the 1880s and 1890s were two decades with the greatest growth in population. New Prague's population more than tripled during that 20-year period going from 384 residents to 1228, while the state's population more than doubled during that same period. Original businesses outgrew their original
log and wood-frame storefronts. A large
commercial district filled with solid brick, stone, and wood-frame
commercial structures developed along Main Street. ==Geography==