The Prairie Press had its origins in a magazine called The Golden Quill, which was produced as a hobby by Carroll Coleman, beginning in the 1920s. Its formal foundation dates to 1935, however, by which time Coleman had gained experience in commercial printing. The Prairie Press produced books under its own imprint, as well printing books for other publishers. Coleman also taught typographic design at the University Iowa, establishing the Typographical Laboratory there in 1945.

Special Collections has the following items printed at or published by the Prairie Press:

• American Medley: Stories from American Prefaces. Muscatine: 1937. PZ1.A519 Am
• Contemporary Iowa Poets. Muscatine: 1935. PS614 .C6
• Derleth, August. The Landscape of the Heart. Iowa City: 1970. PS3507.E69 L3
• Duncan, Thomas William. Elephants at War and Other Poems. Muscatine: 1935. PS3507.U633 E6 1935
• Farran, Don. Ballad of the Silver Ring. Muscatine: 1935. PS3511 .A7
• Goudy, Frederic William. Notes on Legibility: Excerpts from Earlier Writings and Comments on Their Interpretation, Taken from Letters to Earl English, Published on the Occasion of Mr Goudy’s Lecture to Newspaper Men of the State at the School of Journalism of the State University of Iowa, November 17, 1944. Muscatine: 1944. Z250.A4 G68 1944
• Jackson, Donald. Johann Amerbach. Iowa City: 1956. Z232.A5 J3 1956
• Lechlitner, Ruth. The Shadow on the Hour. Iowa City: 1956. PS3523.E272 S5
• MacDonald, Jessica North. Dinner Party: Poems. Muscatine: 1942. PS3525.A1977 D5
• Mott, Frank. Five Stories. Iowa City: 1962. PZ4.M918 FI, PS3525.O87 F5, and PS3525.O87 F5 1962
• Pitzer, Henry. Three Frontiers: Memories, and a Portrait of Henry Littleton Pitzer as Recorded by his Son, Robert Claiborne Pitzer. Muscatine: 1938. 978.8 P687t
• Robinson, Zirkle. The Robinson-Rosenberger Journey to the Gold Fields of California, 1849-1850: The Diary of Zirkle D. Robinson. Iowa City: 1966. F593 .R55
• Rosenberger, Francis. American Sampler: A Selection of New Poetry. Iowa City: 1951. PS614 .R65
• Saul, George Brandon. October Sheaf. Iowa City: 1951. PS3537.A866 O26
• Sigmund, Jay. Jay G. Sigmund: Select Poetry and Prose. Muscatine: 1939. PS3537.I36 A16
• Sigmund, Jay. The Least of These. Muscatine: 1935. PS3537.I36 L4 1935
• Twain, Mark. Mark Twain’s First Story. Iowa City: 1952. PS1322.D3 M4
• Van Doren, Mark. In That Far Land. Iowa City: 1951. PS3543.A4523 I5
• West, Herbert. John Sloan’s Last Summer. Iowa City: 1952. ND237.S57 W48 1952