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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 27,337 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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