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Mason
City at a Glance |
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Community |
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- Mason
City is located in Cerro Gordo County in Northern Iowa.
- Mason
City is the largest urban center in North Iowa and is
located 120 miles North of Des Moines, Iowa and 135 miles
South of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
- The
population of Mason City is approximately 29,170 people.
- The
average winter temperature in Mason City is 18.2 degrees
Fahrenheit and the average summer temperature is 70.7
degrees Fahrenheit.
- The
average annual rainfall in Mason City is 31.4 inches while
the average annual snowfall is 37.8 inches.
- Mason
City has 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 public
high school, and 2 private high schools.
- The
Mason City school district is in the top 15% in the
United States in academic student achievement tests.
- Mason
City is home to a four-year college, a four-year vocational/technical
college and a two-year community college.
- Mercy
Medical Center – North Iowa has been named one of
the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals. They were also named a Top 100 Cardiovascular
Hospital.
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| Business
& Industry |
- There
are approximately 48 manufacturing plants in Mason City
employing nearly 4,000 people.
- Mason
City's largest employer is North Iowa Mercy Health Center,
other major employers include:
- The
Curries/Graham Company - manufactures steel and wooden
doors and frames.
- Kraft
- the only place in the world where ready-to-serve
Jell-O and Jell-O pudding snacks are made.
- The
Principal Financial Group - administrators for insurance
policies and retirement programs.
- Woodharbor
- manufactures wooden cabinets.
- Smithfield
Foods – packaged meats and turkey products sold
under the Armour, Butterball, Eckrich and LunchMakers
brands.
- Cargill Kitchen Solutions - egg processing.
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| Unique
to Mason City |
- Mason
City boasts a rich and diverse history starting in 1853
with the first European settlers, John Long and John Bilford.
- The
town was first called Masonic Grove, then Shibboleth,
before becoming Masonville and later, Mason City.
- In
1912, Mason City shipped the largest freight tonnage in
the state of Iowa and produced more brick and tile and
more Portland cement than any city in the world.
- At
one time there were 9 brick and tile companies in Mason
City.
- Sugar
beets became a major crop in the area until the late 1950's.
- The
Colby car was manufactured in Mason City in 1911.
- The
Mason City Municipal Airport was dedicated in 1928. Charles
Lindberg attended the ceremony prior to his flight over
the Atlantic.
- In
1954, a new breed of horse was introduced in Mason City.
The Pony of America came to be known as a gentle, easy
to train breed of horse that was extremely well suited
for the young rider.
- General
Hanford MacNider, a prominent Mason City resident, served
in the Mexican War and was one of the most decorated soldiers
in World War I, serving again as a leader of American
forces in World War II.
- The
only remaining hotel in the world designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright, known as The Park Inn Hotel, is in Mason City.
- Mason
City is home to the largest group of Prairie School designed
homes on a unified site and the location of the first
and only Prairie School house designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright in Iowa.
- The
First National Bank was robbed by John Dillinger and his
gang on March 13, 1934. They escaped with $5,200 despite
the fact the bank actually had more than $300,000 on hand
that day.
- Mason
City is the hometown of Meredith Willson, well-known musician
and composer who is best remembered for his long running
stage and screen musical, "The Music Man". Mason City
is the "River City" featured in Willson's "The
Music Man." Meredith Willson also wrote the musical "The
Unsinkable Molly Brown" and composed the song "It's Beginning
to Look a Lot Like Christmas."
- Mason
City is the boyhood home of Bil Baird, master puppeteer.
The largest collections of his work, including the puppets
featured in "The Sound of Music", are on display at the
Charles H. MacNider Art Museum.
- The
first North Iowa Band Festival was held in 1928 in observance
of Mason City's 75th Anniversary. Mason City stills hosts
this annual event, honoring its musical culture.
- Mason
City is home to the only remaining electric freight-hauling
railroad in the entire United States. Visitors can
see this one of kind train in operation on almost any
day - especially weekends - while traveling on 19th St.
SW / County Rd B 35 which runs parallel to the Iowa Terminal
electric railroad.
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