Brownsville was designated as Prairie County's first county seat. A wood frame courthouse was erected. It lasted until a fire destroyed this facility on September 16, 1854. Today, Brownsville is located two and a half miles northeast of the city of Lonoke, in Lonoke County. According to the Goodspeeds Publishing Company, Brownsville continued to be the county seat until 1868.
The next county seat was located in DeValls Bluff from 1868 through 1875. In 1875, the county seat was moved to Des Arc. Then, in 1885, the county was divided into Northern and Southern Districts with courthouses in both Des Arc and DeValls Bluff. This division is supposedly due to the frequent flooding along the White River. Citizens in the lower end of the county complained that the river flooding in the spring prevented them from getting to the Des Arc Courthouse to pay their taxes before they were penalized for missing the deadline. Prairie County continues to serve citizens from both locations.
 |
 |
 |
