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Mason City, Iowa
City
Principal Financial Group Building in Downtown Mason City
Nickname(s):  River City
Location of Mason City, Iowa
Coordinates: 43°8′55″N 93°12′7″W / 43.14861°N 93.20194°W / 43.14861; -93.20194Coordinates: 43°8′55″N 93°12′7″W / 43.14861°N 93.20194°W / 43.14861; -93.20194
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Cerro Gordo
Area [1]
• Total	28.10 sq mi (72.78 km2)
• Land	27.81 sq mi (72.03 km2)
• Water	0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2)
Elevation	1,129 ft (344 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	28,079
• Estimate  (2016)[3]	27,430
• Rank	16th in Iowa
• Density	1,000/sq mi (390/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	50401, 50402, 50467
Area code(s)	641
FIPS code	19-50160
GNIS feature ID	0458840
Website	http://www.masoncity.net/

Mason City is a city in and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States.^[4] The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census.^[5] The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties. It is commonly referred to as the "River City", as the city grew up centered on the Winnebago River.

History

The region around what would later be first called "Shibboleth" was a summer home to the Sioux and Winnebago nations. The first settlement was made at Shibboleth in 1853 at the confluence of the Winnebago River and Calmus Creek.^[6] The town had several names: Shibboleth, Masonic Grove, and Masonville, until the name Mason City was adopted in 1855, in honor of a founder's son, Mason Long.^[7]

In 1854, John McMillin opened the first store, and Dr. Silas Card opened the first medical practice in the area. Lizzie Thompson established the first schoolhouse in a log cabin in 1856. The United States Post Office Department started service to the town in 1857. Mason City was named as the county seat in 1858.^[8]

Musical heritage

Bandmaster 2009

Mason City is known for its musical heritage, consistently producing successful performers and educators.^{[citation needed]} The city's "favorite son", Meredith Willson, grew up in Mason City and played in the Mason City Symphonic Band as a high school student. Willson's crowning achievement was the famous musical The Music Man. Many of the characters in it were taken from people Willson knew from his childhood in Mason City.^[9]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.10 square miles (72.78 km²), of which 27.81 square miles (72.03 km²) is land and 0.29 square miles (0.75 km²) is water.^[1][10]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 28,079 people, 12,366 households, and 7,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,009.7 inhabitants per square mile (389.8/km²). There were 13,352 housing units at an average density of 480.1 per square mile (185.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.8% White, 1.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population.

There were 12,366 households of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 40.9 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 29,172 people, 12,368 households, and 7,507 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,131.3 people per square mile (436.7/km²). There were 13,029 housing units at an average density of 505.3 per square mile (195.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.40% White, 1.17% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.07% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.45% of the population.

There were 12,368 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,852, and the median income for a family was $45,160. Males had a median income of $32,451 versus $21,756 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,899. About 7.2% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Mason City has a very diverse employment base covering multiple sectors of the economy including Manufacturing, Health, Financial Services, Technology and Education, with no one sector or employer dominating the market.

The largest employer is Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa. Other major industry includes door manufacturer Curries/Graham Company, Woodhardbor Cabinetry Manufacturers, Principal Financial, Cargill Kitchen Solutions and the Kraft Foods plant that produces the nation's entire supply of refrigerated ready-to-eat Jell-O pudding snacks. Mason City is also a major production center for Portland Cement. In November 2007, Reyes Holding / Martin-Brower opened a distribution facility serving McDonald's in 5 states.^[12]

In March 2016, North Carolina based company Prestage Farms proposed to build a $240 million pork processing plant or slaughterhouse in Mason City,^[13] employing about 1,800 people. In May, the Mason City Council cast a tie vote rejected the proposed project.^[14] Plant opponents raised environmental issues and expressed concern about possible harm to property values.^[15]

Arts and culture

Events and festivals

In late May or early June Mason City holds an annual celebration of its musical heritage called The North Iowa Band Festival. Bands from across the midwest compete during the parade to be named the best band. The home bands, Mason City High School and Newman Catholic High School Marching Bands, do not compete but do perform in the parade.^[16]

Landmarks

The Dr. G.C. Stockman House

Architecture and the Prairie School

Mason City is widely known for its collection of Prairie School architecture, the largest concentration of any city in Iowa. At least 32 houses and one commercial building were built in the Prairie Style between 1908 and 1922, 17 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and eight more are contributing properties to a historic district.^[17][18]

The first two Prairie structures, the Dr. G.C. Stockman House (1908) and the Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank Buildings (1909–1910) were both designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The hotel and bank, a mixed-use development at the corner of State and Federal Avenues, was the first to be commissioned by local attorneys James E. E. Markley and James E. Blythe. Within a year, Wright was hired to design the Stockman House by Markley's neighbor.^[19]

The historic
and endangered
Len Jus Building

Both the Park Inn Hotel and Stockman House suffered from neglect and unsympathetic alterations before they were saved by community organizations. In 1989, the Stockman House was moved four blocks to prevent its demolition; it was subsequently restored and opened to the public by the River City Society for Historic Preservation.^[20] Likewise, Wright on the Park, Inc. began restoration on the Park Inn Hotel in 2005 and the former City National Bank building in 2007. The organization reopened both buildings as a boutique hotel in August 2011.^[21][22] The Park Inn Hotel is last remaining of the few hotels that Wright completed during his career and is considered a prototype for Wright's Imperial Hotel.^[23]

The Rock Glen and Rock Crest National Historic district is a small enclave of single-family homes situated along the banks of Willow Creek five blocks east of downtown. It is the largest collection of prairie style homes in a natural setting in the world.^{[citation needed]} It features both Prairie School and Usonian design.^{[citation needed]} Five of these houses were designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, two by Francis Barry Byrne, and others by William Drummond, Einar Broaten, and Curtis Besinger.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to Prairie Style architecture, Mason City is home to extensive Victorian, Craftsman, and Bungalow style homes, as well as historic commercial structures dates from between 1892 and 1940, including the Brick and Tile Building at the intersection of State and Delaware Streets.

The Mason City Public Library was designed by Chicago architects Holabird and Root in 1939.^[24]

The Len Jus Building on North Federal Avenue has an extremely rare sheet-metal facade, it had been placed on the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance's Most Endangered list because of its poor repair and indifferent ownership,^[25][26] but is now being rehabilitated by the new owner.

Sports

Mason City has some history of minor league sports teams despite its relatively small size.

The North Iowa Bulls hockey team began play in Mason City during the 2011–2012 NA3HL season.^[27] The Bulls won the Silver Cup in 2013, 2014 and 2016. They have also gone on to win the Tier III National Championship in 2013 and 2015. The North Iowa Outlaws junior hockey team began play in the North American Hockey League in 2005. They were in Mason City until 2010, when they relocated to Onalaska, Wisconsin to become the Coulee Region Chill. The former North Iowa Huskies played in the United States Hockey League until 1999.

The Mason City Bats of the short-lived Great Central League played baseball here in 1994.

College Football Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez led Mason City High School to the 1978 Class 4A state football championship with a 15–13 victory over Dubuque Hempstead.

River City Rugby Football Club was established in Mason City in 1972. The Club competes in two separate two-month seasons, April and May, and September and October. The Club celebrated its 40th anniversary in June 2012. Over 250 players have played for the Club since it first began. The Club competes against teams from Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska in the Midwest Division 3.

Education

The Mason City Community School District has a motto of "Quality Education in a Caring & Responsive Environment".^[28]

Public schools

Harding Elementary School,
Hoover Elementary School,
Jefferson Elementary School,
Roosevelt Elementary School,
Lincoln Intermediate School (5–6),
John Adams Junior High School (7–8),
Mason City High School, (9–12),
Mason City Alternative High School,
Madison Early Childhood Center

Private schools

Newman Catholic Elementary/Middle School,
Newman Catholic High School, and North Iowa Christian School.
Mason City is also the home of the Worldwide College of Auctioning.

Advanced education

Mason City is home to several institutions of higher education, including the North Iowa Area Community College, a branch of Buena Vista University and Kaplan University.

Media

Movies and documentaries

The town is featured prominently in the first episode of the 12-part documentary film How Democracy Works Now. In the 1989 movie "UHF" character Stanley Spadowski (played by Michael Richards) is seen wearing a Mason City t-shirt.
It served as the inspiration for the fictional town of River City, Iowa in The Music Man, the musical that was composed and written by Mason City native son, Meredith Willson.^[29]

Television

Local stations serving Mason City include:

• 
  KIMT – Channel 3 CBS
  


• KYIN – Channel 24 IPTV/PBS
  

Minnesota stations that include Mason City in their coverage area include:

• 
  KAAL – Channel 6 ABC
  


• 
  KTTC – Channel 10 NBC / The CW
  


• 
  KXLT-TV – Channel 47 Fox
  

Radio

• 
  KBDC FM 88.5 – Christian (American Family Association)


• 
  KCMR FM 97.9 – Religious (TLC Broadcasting)


• 
  KGLO AM 1300 – Talk (Three Eagles Communications)


• 
  KIAI FM 93.9 – Country (Three Eagles Communications)


• 
  KJCY FM 95.5 – Christian (Kinship Radio Broadcasting)


• 
  KLKK FM 103.7 – Classic Rock (North Iowa Broadcasting)


• 
  KLSS-FM 106.1 – Hot AC (Three Eagles Communications)


• 
  KNSM FM 91.5 – Iowa Public Radio and the (University of Northern Iowa)


• 
  KRIB AM 1490 – Adult Standards (Three Eagles Communications)


• 
  KRNI AM 1010 – simulcast of KNSM
  


• 
  KSMA-FM 98.7 – Country (North Iowa Broadcasting)

Newspapers

• 
  Globe Gazette – daily newspaper

Infrastructure

Surface Transportation

The majority of the city is served by Iowa Highway 122, and U.S. Highway 65. U.S. Highway 18 now bypasses the city to the south. Interstate 35 (eight miles to the west) serves the city as well.

Rail Service

Mason City is home to the Iowa Traction Railway. The IATR is one of the last surviving electric interurban railroads in the U. S., and the only one that still uses electric locomotives to haul freight in regular service.

Mason City also is served by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. The Canadian Pacific track is part of its US subsidiary the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad ( former I&M Rail Link and Milwaukee Road trackage. The Union Pacific's track was inherited from the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company when it bought it in the 1990s. Much of the trackage is composed of the old Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's (aka Rock Island Railroad )

While the Iowa Northern Railway does not operate in the city of Mason City, it does serve other communities in the Mason City micropolitan statistical area. The Iowa Northern has facilities in Manly, Iowa.

Airports

The city also has a municipal airport, Mason City Municipal Airport, (MCW) with commercial service by Air Choice One. It is the airport from which Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper took off on the night of February 2, 1959, after a concert at the Surf Ballroom in nearby Clear Lake, Iowa, only to crash their plane in a historic event later referred to as the Day the Music Died.

Notable people

• 
  Bil Baird, puppeteer
  


• 
  Tanna Frederick, actress and ocean fish conservationist
  


• 
  Carrie Chapman Catt, woman's suffrage


• 
  Walter Burley Griffin, architect


• 
  Jodi Huisentruit, anchorwoman and missing person
  


• 
  Jack Jenney, jazz musician


• 
  Richard Kirkham, philosopher


• 
  Tim Lannon (born 1951), Creighton University President^[30]


• 
  Tim Laudner, Major League Baseball catcher
  


• 
  Joe Lillard, NFL running back
  


• 
  Hanford MacNider (1889–1968), Ambassador to Canada, Brigadier-General in the US Army^[31]


• 
  James J. Montague (1873–1941), journalist and poet


• 
  Sonny Onoo, professional wrestling manager
  


• 
  Jack Rule, Jr., professional golfer
  


• 
  Scott Sandage (born 1964), historian and author^[32]


• 
  Frank Secory, MLB left fielder and umpire


• 
  Ralph Senensky, television director and writer


• 
  Meredith Willson, composer and playwright, The Music Man
  


• 
  Alex Bergan, Musician, Composer, Zone Inspector of the Year 2017

Sister city

Mason City, Iowa, and Montegrotto Terme, Italy, created a Sister City relationship in the spring of 2005. This relationship creates a bridge between the two cities that citizens can use to build new and lasting friendships and relationships.^[8]

See also

• MacNider Art Museum


• Collaborative Summer Library Program

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mason City, Iowa.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Mason City.

• 
  Mason City Iowa The original River City Portal style website including city government.


• Mason City Chamber of Commerce


• Mason City Community School District


• Mason City Public Library website


• 
  Visit Mason City Visitor information for Mason City and surrounding area.


• Wright in Iowa


• KRIB News/Sports website


• 
  City Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Mason City


• 
  Mason City travel guide from Wikivoyage