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End of an Era: Prause Meat Market Closing

By Jeff Wick –
  • From left to right, Brian, Mark and Gary Prause take down the exterior sign above Prause Meat Market Monday as they prepare to sell the historic building which has housed the market since 1953. The first Prause Market opened on the square in 1904. Photo by Jeff Wick
    From left to right, Brian, Mark and Gary Prause take down the exterior sign above Prause Meat Market Monday as they prepare to sell the historic building which has housed the market since 1953. The first Prause Market opened on the square in 1904. Photo by Jeff Wick
  • The first Prause Market was opened in 1904 on the square in La Grange by Arnold Prause. This picture of Arnold Prause and his son Glen was taken around 1913. Arnold learned the meat trade in Fayetteville in the 1880’s and 1890s before moving to the north side of the La Grange square and becoming the first generation Prause meat man.
    The first Prause Market was opened in 1904 on the square in La Grange by Arnold Prause. This picture of Arnold Prause and his son Glen was taken around 1913. Arnold learned the meat trade in Fayetteville in the 1880’s and 1890s before moving to the north side of the La Grange square and becoming the first generation Prause meat man.
  • Glen Prause Sr. is shown here standing in front of Prause Market with a grand champion show calf held by Morris Zapalac. Jimmy Prause, Glen’s brother, is standing in the far left of the photo in the doorway of the meat market. This picture was taken in 1940’s. They are the second generation of Prauses to run the market after it had moved to the east side of the courthouse square.
    Glen Prause Sr. is shown here standing in front of Prause Market with a grand champion show calf held by Morris Zapalac. Jimmy Prause, Glen’s brother, is standing in the far left of the photo in the doorway of the meat market. This picture was taken in 1940’s. They are the second generation of Prauses to run the market after it had moved to the east side of the courthouse square.
  • Glen Jr., James (Moxie) and Steve Prause are shown here in a photo from the 1960s at the VFW Hall cooking for an event. They were the third generation of Prauses working the market after it moved to the present location in 1953.
    Glen Jr., James (Moxie) and Steve Prause are shown here in a photo from the 1960s at the VFW Hall cooking for an event. They were the third generation of Prauses working the market after it moved to the present location in 1953.
  • Steve, Glen Jr. and Moxie Prause in the market. This picture was taken in 1995.
    Steve, Glen Jr. and Moxie Prause in the market. This picture was taken in 1995.
  • This photo was taken in 2007, the fourth generation Prauses working at the market: Gary, Brian, Kathy and Mark.
    This photo was taken in 2007, the fourth generation Prauses working at the market: Gary, Brian, Kathy and Mark.
  • This photo was taken around 1990 when 10 people worked the market – eight of them Prauses along with the late pitmaster Monroe Schubert and Dennis Ahlschlager.
    This photo was taken around 1990 when 10 people worked the market – eight of them Prauses along with the late pitmaster Monroe Schubert and Dennis Ahlschlager.
One of Fayette County’s most historic family businesses is not going to reopen. Prause Meat Market, which first opened on the courthouse square in La Grange in 1904, has been sold. The market has been closed since March 31 as the members of the Prause family took pandemic precautions, but up until a couple of weeks ago, the family was still planning to re-open when the time was right. Prause…

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