The town was founded in 1907 by Valentine Eggar, an entrepreneur and he named it after Congressman Charles Nelson Pray. Its population is about 700, it does have a post office with ZIP code… 59065, which opened on December 8, 1909.
The community is located on Highway 540 (East River Road), on the Yellowstone River. It is 22 miles from Livingston, and 30 miles from Yellowstone National Park. “Pray offers picturesque views of the Absaroka Mountain Range in the Gallatin National Forest.” Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa is located three miles south of the town.
In 2012, the five acres that make up the town of Pray were offered for sale by owner Barbara Walker, a photographer, for $1.4 million.[10] The town “has been privately owned since it was founded.” Ms. Walker’s family began running the town in 1953; she became mayor in 2007.
“Being the owner of Pray doesn’t have to be a difficult job,” according to Ms. Walker.
“The town is pretty low-maintenance … You collect the rent once a month and water and mow the lawn.”
In September 2018 the town of Pray was bought by Colin Burke and his girlfriend Rachel for $420,000. Currently, he has turned the General Store into a vacation rental property and is building several log cabins on the property for the vacation and long-term rental market.