The village of Prospect in the early 1870s had aspirations to greatness but unfortunately it seemed to have been blanketed by Richmond on the one side and Franktown on the other. In the early 1870s Mr. Robbert Mackay remembers it as only a “half-way place” between the two larger towns. The population then was about 100 and the people were looking forward to it being benefited by the Brockville and Ottawa railway, but the railway seemed to injure rather than benefit as most of the people of the surrounding country used it to go to Ottawa or Smiths Falls to shop. The village boasted two saw mills one kept by Duncan McGregor, the other by Wm. H. James.

There was one good hotel kept by W. Burrows, and one good general store kept by George Craig. Then there was one blacksmith shop operated by Wm. Riley. Mr. Mackey is not sure whether Prospect was so named by those who started it because of the hopes they had for its greatness, or because of the physical outlook. Mr. Mackey does not think it could have been the latter as the prospect from the village was not particularly good.