Mount Pleasant, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
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Main Street (2008)
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| Motto(s):
Pursuing excellence
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Location of Mount Pleasant, Iowa
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Henry |
| Incorporated | July 15, 1856 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.64 sq mi (22.39 km2) |
| • Land | 8.63 sq mi (22.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 719 ft (219 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,274 |
| • Density | 1,074.87/sq mi (415.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
52641
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| Area code(s) | 319 |
| FIPS code | 19-54705 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0459328 |
Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa. The population was 9,274 in the 2020 census, an increase from 8,668 in the 2010 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders.
Contents
History
Mount Pleasant was first incorporated as a town by European Americans in 1842, and again in 1851.
In 1869, Mount Pleasant was the site of a solar eclipse expedition, under the command of James Craig Watson and sponsored by National Almanac. The total solar eclipse occurred on August 7, 1869.
In the Union Block building in 1869, Arabella A. Mansfield became the first woman in the United States to be awarded a license to practice law. She had passed the bar exam with high scores and won a court case for entry to the bar. The legislature changed its statute.
The third floor of the Union Block housed the Opera House or Union Hall, a gathering place for the community. It attracted national speakers on tour, including abolitionists Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Anna Dickinson. James Harlan also spoke there, as he was president of Iowa Wesleyan College in the town, and later was elected several times to the United States Senate. This building had been considered one of the most endangered historic sites in Iowa.
The Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute was built in 1861. However, in 1936, a fire did great damage to the building. The hospital had to be closed, as little of the facility survived the fire.
On December 10, 1986, Ralph Orin Davis, a resident, walked into a city council meeting and shot Mayor Edward King and two council members. Mayor King died of his wounds after being shot point blank in the head. The 69-year-old gunman had attended a couple of previous meetings, complaining about a backed-up sewer and wanting the city to pay for damages to his house. The two council members were seriously wounded. Tom Vilsack was the replacement mayor, later becoming governor for 8 years, and then Secretary of Agriculture for 8 years.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.53 square miles (22.09 km2), of which, 8.51 square miles (22.04 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.
Mount Pleasant's population density is estimated at 1123 people per square mile which is considered low for urban areas.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 758 | — | |
| 1860 | 3,530 | 365.7% | |
| 1870 | 4,245 | 20.3% | |
| 1880 | 4,410 | 3.9% | |
| 1890 | 3,997 | −9.4% | |
| 1900 | 4,109 | 2.8% | |
| 1910 | 3,874 | −5.7% | |
| 1920 | 3,987 | 2.9% | |
| 1930 | 3,743 | −6.1% | |
| 1940 | 4,610 | 23.2% | |
| 1950 | 5,843 | 26.7% | |
| 1960 | 7,339 | 25.6% | |
| 1970 | 7,007 | −4.5% | |
| 1980 | 7,322 | 4.5% | |
| 1990 | 8,027 | 9.6% | |
| 2000 | 8,751 | 9.0% | |
| 2010 | 8,668 | −0.9% | |
| 2020 | 9,274 | 7.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,668 people, 3,127 households, and 1,935 families living in the city. The population density was 1,018.6 inhabitants per square mile (393.3/km2). There were 3,365 housing units at an average density of 395.4 per square mile (152.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.7% White, 4.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.7% of the population.
There were 3,127 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.1% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.94.
The median age in the city was 37.3 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.7% male and 47.3% female.
Arts and culture
Mount Pleasant is also home to the Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion which attracts a crowd numbering over 100,000 admissions annually during an extended five-day weekend which ends on Labor Day. The reunion dates back to 1950 and pays tribute to the agricultural heritage of the American Midwest in an extensive, highly interactive manner, with live-action exhibition-style displays centering on restored mechanical equipment, particularly steam engines, farm tractors, stationary gas engines, antique and classic cars, the narrow-gauge Midwest Central Railroad, and electric trolleys. Country music shows featuring top-name performers, an expansive modern campground with transportation to the main grounds, and an extensive food court and numerous other offerings (run entirely by local churches and nonprofit organizations) are some of the amenities Old Threshers guests enjoy.
Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Mount Pleasant, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.
U.S. Route 34 bypasses Mount Pleasant to the north, while U.S. Route 218/Iowa Highway 27 bypass the city to the east. These highways' former routes through the city are now designated as business routes.
The Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (FAA Identifier: MPZ) is at an elevation of 730 ft (222.5 m) and is located 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the city. The airport started operations in March 1945. As of May 2014[ref] it has 2 runways: Runway 15/33 is hard surfaced (asphalt) and is 4001 ft long × 75 ft wide (1220 m × 23 m) with runway edge lights; Runway 03/21 is turf and is 1965 ft long × 120 ft wide (599 m × 37 m) marked by yellow cones.
Economy
Mount Pleasant is home to an array of manufacturing, distribution and agribusiness companies. The more prominent businesses are Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Lomont Molding, Innovaire, Continental ContiTech, Ceco Building Systems and West Liberty Foods. Iowa Wesleyan University, Henry County Health Center, the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility and Mount Pleasant Community School District are also larger employers for the city.
Education
Public schools
The public school system in Mount Pleasant is administered by the Mount Pleasant Community School District. The district oversees the high school, middle school and four elementary schools, Harlan, Lincoln, Salem, and Van Allen. The WisdomQuest Education Center serves as an alternative high school for the district.
Higher education
The city is home to Iowa Wesleyan University, which, founded in 1842, ranks as the oldest coeducational college/university west of the Mississippi River. The P.E.O. Sisterhood, an international philanthropic organization for women, was founded on the campus in Mount Pleasant by seven Iowa Wesleyan students.
Notable people
- James Van Allen (1914–2006) – considered one of the country's foremost space scientist.
- Warren Wallace Beckwith (1874–1955) - athlete, husband of Abraham Lincoln's granddaughter.
- Belle Coddington (1842-1920), American Civil War nurse, teacher in Mount Pleasant
- Susan Frances Nelson Ferree (1844-1919), journalist, temperance worker, suffragist, and women's rights activist
- Tom Vilsack – former Mount Pleasant mayor, former governor of Iowa, and current United States Secretary of Agriculture.
- Arabella Mansfield (1846–1911) – first female lawyer in the United States.
- James Harlan (1820–1899) – politician, president of Iowa Wesleyan College.
- Mary Eunice Harlan (1846–1937) – daughter of James Harlan; wife of Robert Todd Lincoln.
- Dana Holgorsen – head coach for the University of Houston football team.
- Leigh S. J. Hunt (1855–1933) – Superintendent of Schools in the 1880s.
- Jessie Wilson Manning (1855-?) - author, lecturer
- Carolyn Pendray (1881–1958) - first woman elected to the Iowa General Assembly.
- Ab Saunders (1851–1883) - Wild West cowboy and outlaw.
- Frederick A. Shannon (1921–1965) – herpetologist.
- Henry Krieger-Coble (born 1992) – NFL tight end.
- Ricky Phillips (born 1952) - rock bassist, currently with Styx; formerly with The Babys and Bad English
- Harry F. Olson
See also
In Spanish: Mount Pleasant (Iowa) para niños
