[5] Captain Matthew Hall settled in the area in 1827, and established a store and post office in the early 1830s.

The town expanded with the arrival of the railroad in the 1850s, and in later decades would profit from its location along two major rail lines.

[6] The Jacob Bedenbaugh House, Howard Junior High School, and Prosperity Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[9] The town is concentrated around the intersection of U.S. Route 76 and South Carolina Highway 391 northwest of Columbia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km2), all land.