Mount Pleasant, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Pleasant, Iowa
City
Main Street (2008)
Motto(s):  Pursuing excellence
Location of Mount Pleasant, Iowa
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	728 ft (222 m)
Population  (2020)
• 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
Area code(s)	319
FIPS code	19-54705
GNIS feature ID	468416

Mount Pleasant is a city in Iowa, USA. It's the main city, or county seat, of Henry County. In 2020, about 9,274 people lived there. This was an increase from 8,668 people in 2010. A pioneer named Presley Saunders founded the city in 1835.

History of Mount Pleasant

Historic Union Block building (2015)

The first people settled in Mount Pleasant in 1833. The town officially became a city in 1842, and again in 1851.

In 1869, Mount Pleasant was a special place for science. A team led by James Craig Watson came to study a solar eclipse. This total solar eclipse happened on August 7, 1869.

Important Moments at Union Block

The Union Block building holds a lot of history. In 1869, Arabella A. Mansfield made history there. She became the first woman in the United States to get a license to practice law. She passed her law exam with high scores. The state law was changed because of her success.

The third floor of the Union Block had an Opera House, also called Union Hall. This was a popular meeting spot for the community. Famous speakers from around the country visited. These included people who fought against slavery, like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. James Harlan also spoke there. He was the president of Iowa Wesleyan College in town. He later became a US Senator many times. This building is considered a very important historic site in Iowa.

Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute

The Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute was built in 1861. A big fire in 1936 caused a lot of damage to the building. Starting in 1976, many hospital services moved. They went to the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility. This facility still uses the campus today. The original hospital closed in 2015.

City Leadership and Community

Mount Pleasant City Hall

In 1986, a sad event happened at a city council meeting. The mayor, Edward King, and two council members were hurt. Mayor King passed away from his injuries. Tom Vilsack became the new mayor. He later served as the Governor of Iowa for eight years. He then became the Secretary of Agriculture for the US.

Geography of Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant is in the middle of Henry County. It is located where two major roads meet: US Routes 218 and 34.

The city covers about 8.53 square miles (22.09 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part is water.

Mount Pleasant has about 1,123 people per square mile. This is considered a low population density for a city.

Population and People

2020 Census Information

In 2020, there were 9,274 people living in Mount Pleasant. There were 3,218 households, which are groups of people living together. About 1,926 of these were families.

• About 80.7% of the people were White.
• About 4.9% were Black or African American.
• About 4.2% were Asian.
• About 8.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the city was 36.8 years old. About 22.7% of residents were under 20 years old. Also, 17.7% were 65 years old or older. There were slightly more males (54.2%) than females (45.8%) in the city.

Arts and Culture in Mount Pleasant

Steam tractor lineup at the 2010 Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion

Mount Pleasant is famous for the Midwest Old Thresher's Reunion. This event attracts over 100,000 visitors each year. It lasts for five days and ends on Labor Day.

The reunion started in 1950. It celebrates the history of farming in the American Midwest. Visitors can see old machines in action. These include steam engines, farm tractors, and antique cars. There's also a special narrow-gauge train called the Midwest Central Railroad.

Economy and Jobs

Mount Pleasant has many companies that make things, distribute goods, and work in agribusiness (farming-related businesses).

Some of the biggest employers are:

• Wal-Mart Distribution Center
• Lomont Molding
• Innovaire
• Continental ContiTech
• Ceco Building Systems
• West Liberty Foods

Other large employers include the Henry County Health Center, the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility, and the Mount Pleasant Community School District.

Education Opportunities

Public Schools

The public schools in Mount Pleasant are managed by the Mount Pleasant Community School District. The district has one high school and one middle school. There are also four elementary schools: Harlan, Lincoln, Salem, and Van Allen. The WisdomQuest Education Center offers an alternative high school program.

Higher Education

The city was home to Iowa Wesleyan University. This university was founded in 1842. It was the oldest college west of the Mississippi River that allowed both male and female students. The P.E.O. Sisterhood, a group that helps women, was started by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan.

Transportation Options

Train Service

Amtrak, the national passenger train system, serves Mount Pleasant. The California Zephyr train stops here daily. It travels between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California.

Roads and Highways

U.S. Route 34 goes around Mount Pleasant to the north. U.S. Route 218 and Iowa Highway 27 go around the city to the east. The old routes of these highways through the city are now called business routes.

Airport Access

The Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (FAA Identifier: MPZ) is located about 3 miles (5 kilometers) southeast of the city. It sits at an elevation of 730 feet (222.5 meters). The airport began operating in March 1945. It has two runways for planes to land and take off.

Notable People from Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant has been home to many interesting people:

• Eric Allender (born 1956) – A computer scientist.
• Warren Wallace Beckwith (1874–1955) – An athlete who married Abraham Lincoln's granddaughter.
• Belle Coddington (1842-1920) – A Civil War nurse and teacher.
• Susan F. Ferree (1844-1919) – A journalist and activist for women's rights.
• James Harlan (1820–1899) – A politician and president of Iowa Wesleyan College.
• Mary Eunice Harlan (1846–1937) – Daughter of James Harlan and wife of Robert Todd Lincoln.
• Dana Holgorsen – A football coach for the University of Houston.
• Mike Leach (American football coach) (1961-2022) – A well-known American football coach.
• Leigh S. J. Hunt (1855–1933) – A Superintendent of Schools in the 1880s.
• Rachelle Keck – A president of two universities.
• Henry Krieger-Coble (born 1992) – An NFL football player.
• Jessie Wilson Manning (1855-?) – An author and lecturer.
• Arabella Mansfield (1846–1911) – The first female lawyer in the United States.
• Harry F. Olson (1901-1982) – An acoustical engineer.
• Carolyn Pendray (1881–1958) – The first woman elected to the Iowa General Assembly.
• Ricky Phillips (born 1952) – A rock bassist for the band Styx.
• Ab Saunders (1851–1883) – A Wild West cowboy.
• Frederick A. Shannon (1921–1965) – A scientist who studied reptiles and amphibians.
• Newton J. Tharp (1867–1909) – An architect and painter.
• Fred Truck (born 1946) – A painter and sculptor.
• James Van Allen (1914–2006) – A famous space scientist.
• Christie Vilsack (born 1950) – Former first lady of Iowa.
• Tom Vilsack (born 1950) – Former Mount Pleasant mayor, former governor of Iowa, and US Secretary of Agriculture.
• Chris Voss – An FBI hostage negotiator and author.
• Peggy Whitson (born 1960) – A retired NASA Chief Astronaut. She holds the record for most days in space by an American.

See also

In Spanish: Mount Pleasant (Iowa) para niños