New Prague ( ) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
Scott and
Le Sueur counties in the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
. The population was 8,162 at the
2020 census.
Although the northern portion of the City is located within the
Metropolitan Council geographic area, the City of New Prague, through special legislation (M.S. 473.121, Subd. 2), is outside the Metropolitan Council review area/approval jurisdiction.
History
Origin
New Prague was laid out in 1856, and named after
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, the capital of Bohemia (now the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
). The immigrants from Bohemia built the town of New Prague, and many of them identified as
Czechs
The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...
.
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
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
n 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
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
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
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
. 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
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
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
A grain elevator or grain terminal is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lowe ...
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
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
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
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
started business, the second
public school was built, and two
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
s were constructed.
The village's name was changed from Prague to New Prague on February 25, 1884.
The 1890s were probably 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 light
Electric light is an artificial light source powered by electricity.
Electric Light may also refer to:
* Light fixture, a decorative enclosure for an electric light source
* Electric Light (album), ''Electric Light'' (album), a 2018 album by James ...
s were installed in the city in 1895, and
telephone line
A telephone line or telephone circuit (or just line or circuit industrywide) is a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system. It is designed to reproduce speech of a quality that is understandable. It is the physical wire or oth ...
s 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
Commercial area, commercial district or commercial zone in a city is an area, district, or neighborhoods primarily composed of commercial buildings, such as a strip mall, office parks, downtown, central business district, financial district, " ...
filled with solid brick, stone, and wood-frame
commercial structures developed along Main Street.
New Prague had one of the largest earthquakes in Minnesota history. On December 11, 1860, there was a 4.7 magnitude earthquake with a Mercalli intensity of VI.
Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
The land around the area varies from flat to hilly.
The city of New Prague is located in two counties, Scott and Le Sueur. North of Main Street (Highway 13/19) is
Scott County; and on the south side is
Le Sueur County.
Minnesota State Highways
13,
19, and
21 are three of the main routes in New Prague.
There is one lake in the New Prague area, Cedar Lake (Scott County). The lake is a popular destination for fishing, ice fishing, water skiing, and jet skiing. A snowmobile trail runs through the lake during the winter season. An aerated area is located in the eastern part of the lake. The lake is , has a maximum depth of and has a water clarity. There are numerous developments in the area, including a new development located on County Road 89 on the west side of the lake (which is located outside of the New Prague City Limits).
Climate
The climate of New Prague is classified as
warm-summer humid continental with features of a
hot-summer humid continental (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
Dfa).
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 7,321 people, 2,711 households, and 1,910 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 2,862 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.5%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 0.6%
Asian, 0.6% from
other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.
There were 2,711 households, of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.5% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22.
The median age in the city was 32.7 years. 31.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 20.4% were from 45 to 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
2000 census
According to the
2000 census, 38.1% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 20.9%
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
, 8.8%
Norwegian, 8.0%
Irish and 5.4%
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
/
Slovak ancestry. Also, 99.6% spoke
English, 0.3%
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
and 0.1%
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
as their first language.

The following Demographic Data is a result of the 2000 Census: There were 1,694 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,750, and the median income for a family was $50,341. Males had a median income of $37,393 versus $25,164 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $17,732. About 2.6% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
Schools

There are five schools in the New Prague Area Schools (District 721):
New Prague High School (9–12), New Prague Middle School (6–8), Falcon Ridge Elementary in New Prague (K–5), Raven Stream Elementary in New Prague (K–5), and
Eagle View Elementary in nearby Elko New Market (K–5). The total enrollment in the district for the 2005–2006 school year was 3,205 students. New Prague High School's nickname is the Trojans. The Trojans are members of the Wright County Conference, previously members of the Missota Conference prior to the 2014 season. The sports the Trojans participate in include baseball, softball, boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' cross country, boys' and girls' hockey, boys' and girls' tennis, track, swimming, football, cheerleading, wrestling, golf, volleyball, adapted floor hockey, and adapted softball. New in the fall of 2007 is boys' and girls' soccer, and new in the winter of 2009–2010 is the New Prague Trojan Dance Team. New Prague Middle School has been ranked in the top 3 results in MN state standards test (MCA).
There is also a private K–8 school located in New Prague known as St. Wenceslaus Catholic School. Their athletic symbol is the Saints. They offer multiple sports for grade 4–8. The emphasis at St. Wenceslaus Catholic School is Christian Values and Academic Excellence.
Holy Cross Catholic Schools serves part of the New Prague District, representing three Catholic Parishes in Lonsdale, Elko New Market and Veseli. The school opened a new building near Webster in 2005.
Arts and culture
''
Dožínky'' is a
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
Harvest Festival
A harvest festival is an annual Festival, celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different ...
patterned after the "Old Country" original. The ''Dožínky Festival'' in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
is celebrated annually to give thanks for the bountiful harvest.
Media
Radio
* KCHK (1350 AM; 95.5 FM)
Religion
Pillar of Grace Church(New Prague, Minnesota) (
Christian & Missionary Alliance)
*
Church of St. Wenceslaus (Roman Catholic)
Spirit of Life Church(New Prague, Minnesota) (Assemblies of God)
References
External links
City of New Prague, MN − Official siteNew Prague Chamber of CommerceNew Prague Area Schools - ISD #721''The New Prague Times'' newspaper siteNew Prague Area Historical Society
{{Authority control
Cities in Le Sueur County, Minnesota
Cities in Scott County, Minnesota
Cities in Minnesota
Czech-American culture in Minnesota
Populated places established in 1856
1856 establishments in Minnesota Territory