From Frog Level to Prosperity

Sep. 26—PROSPERITY — The Town of Prosperity will celebrate 150 years in 2023, however, what some may not know is that prior to 1873, the town was known as Frog Level.

According to Prosperity resident Andy Hawkins, in approximately 1827, Captain Matthew Hall Sr. had the first store in what is now Prosperity. Hawkins, who wrote a book on Prosperity with the help of others, said that before 1873, the town was always known as Frog Level.

"There are many stories of how the name originated. The most popular version of the legend claims there was a pond of water where Ira Cousins Gin was (currently being renovated into a wedding venue). This pond was infested with innumerable frogs. The legend goes on to tell of an old man becoming intoxicated, laid down by the edge of the pond and fell asleep. When he awoke, the frogs were croaking and he, being stupefied, imagined them croaking frog level and he repeated it," Hawkins said.

The area was called Frog Level from that instance until 1873. That is one way it may have happened, but what is the fun in just hearing one story? Here is a story from Leland Summer's book.

"The incident leading to the name having occurred while a young couple were riding horse-back from church one Sunday. It appears that while they were watering their horses nearby, they heard many frogs croaking. The young lady exclaimed: 'Hello, this must be frog level.'"

Those are just two of the stories of how Frog Level came to be. There may be many more — some that may only be known to a few.

Now, you may be wondering, how did the town go from being Frog Level to Prosperity? Well, according to Hawkins, the answer is simple: trains.

"The railroads were coming and they thought it was a more appropriate name for a town that was growing. We had two railroads coming through and we were a little town, that was 1873. They went to the legislature, which you have to do to change the name," she said.

Prosperity, according to Hawkins, is presumed to have been borrowed from the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Meeting place which appeared on an 1825 Mills Atlas Map and was designated as the Prosperity Meeting House.

"There were a lot of towns during that period that changed their name along the railroad lines because they wanted their name to be aspirational," she said.

Hawkins said she has never heard of anyone raising concerns of the name change in 1873. With that being said, Hawkins jokingly said she wants it changed back.

"I'm the only one I know of because Frog Level is more memorable, it's cute and the town mascot is still a frog," she said. "The gift I got for writing this book was a jade frog. The frog has been the mascot as long as I've been around."

Hawkins added that she thinks it is important for Prosperity to have the frog mascot. She said as a small town, you have to have stories that will connect with new people who move to town.

"I think to hold that up is funny. It's cute. We have a frog statue to prove it," she said.

In fact, the frog mascot led to the late James Sizemore becoming known as the Prosperity Frog Man in town.

"When he came to the area, he previously lived in a place that has a lot of horses and he had a lot of horseshoes. He took those and made them into frogs and he would, for the longest time, anonymously leave them at your door, I found one at my back porch. That eventually led to a statue downtown; Lee Boozer helped him with that."

That statue will soon be located behind Prosperity Town Hall, behind the lending library.

While the town may be called Prosperity today, the frog mascot has allowed the town to always stick to its roots of Frog Level.

Reach Andrew Wigger @ 803-768-3122 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.