About Prairie City

Situated at the upper end of the John Day Valley, on the John Day River. Prairie City grew out of the former mining camp of Dixie, which was situated a short distance up Dixie Creek. Prairie City was the western terminus of the Sumpter Valley Railroad which extended over Dixie Summit and Tipton to Seneca and then to Baker City; passenger train service was discontinued in 1937, freight service continued through World War II, but the line was abandoned in 1947.

Prairie City boasts a number of historic stone buildings and the Dewitt Museum in the former Railroad Depot. The current economy includes ranching, a lumber mill, a wood-fired co-gen electric power plant, and a number of retail vendors and public services.