Henry County Heritage Trust

09/02/2026

08/20/2026

THANKS Southeast Iowa Union!

08/19/2026

Another GREAT picture of the old swimming pool in Saunders Park and including “the snack shack” everyone references...Glen and Clarice Hoffman, both school teachers in Mount Pleasant owned it. THANKS Lori Bolin for this photo and the info about your grandparents!!

08/12/2026

Time Capsule being buried - 8/12/2026. To be opened in 2076!!

07/28/2026

Contribute to the TIME CAPSULE!! There's still time🙂 NOTE: Time Capsule Burial on August 12th will probably be closer to 2:30-3:00!!!

07/27/2026

Remember when the streets around the square and the greater downtown area were brick streets? They were a great improvement over the dirt/mud paths. Many of those bricks are still there! Here is one block of North Harrison Street with the brick visible until the paving company overlays the new driving surface.

There was talk as early as the turn of the century about improvements to the city such as paving to reduce dust and facilitate drainage, but it was a new idea and a major investment. Once in 1903 the Council was ready to proceed, but local property owners petitioned to prevent it.

In 1906 there was talk of a new depot and how appropriate it would be for pavement between the depot and downtown.

Finally in May of 1909 the Council approved a plan to pave the entire greater downtown area. Due to a strike at the manufacturer, Purington, of Galesburg, Illinois, only eight blocks were laid in the second half of October, 1909. Material and labor shortages continued through the summer of 1910. At last, after August, the materials were available, and the contractor was able to pave FORTY blocks—and a few alleys—with the work done in early December, 1910. Newspaper accounts reported that the contractor, an expert, was able to lay 35,000 bricks per day.

Here are two views of Harrison Street, looking north and looking south, with the 1910 bricks visible (photo taken 7/20/2026).