Prairie City, at the mouth of the creek, was chosen after placer mining rendered Dixie unsuitable for a townsite.

[7] It carried passengers as well as freight shipped by ranchers, mining interests, and timber companies until its piecemeal abandonment in the 1930s.

[8] Prairie City is in eastern Oregon at the upper end of the John Day River valley.

[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km2), all land.

[4] The economy includes ranching, retail stores, a wood-fueled power plant, and public services.

[14] Architectural features in Prairie City include historic stone buildings and the former railway depot.

[15] The second floor, once the home of the station agent and his family, houses the Dewitt Museum, with pioneer artifacts, tools, furniture, and memorabilia, as well as rocks and minerals from the surrounding area.