Athens of Iowa - Mt. Pleasant - 1866

INDERSOLL

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 9/5/2016 at 09:14:24

ATHENS OF IOWA.

The City of Mt. Pleasant has for many years enjoyed the enviable reputation of being styled the “Athens of Iowa” – and in fact, the use of this honorable and descriptive appellation is coeval with that of “High Henry”, as applied to our County. These designations have heretofore, been confined chiefly to newspapers and orators; but a recent Historian has stereotyped this name for us, and we have been heralded to the world and will be sent down to the coming millions as being justly entitled to the claim. L.D. Ingersoll, or “Linkensale,” than whom there are few better writers, has very disinterestedly given us this conspicuous prominence in his “Iowa and the Rebellion,” recently published, as follows:

“The City of Mt. Pleasant, the seat of the Iowa Wesleyan University, and of several other institutions of learning, has been called the Athens of our State. Distinguished for the intelligence and high-toned morality of its population, for its men who have become eminent in politics and literature, it is one of the finest little Cities in Christendom.”

[Mt. Pleasant “Home Journal”, Friday, May 4, 1866, page 3]