Mount Pleasant is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The city is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Isabella County, which is part of

Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula of the United States, U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said t ...

. The population of Mount Pleasant was 21,688 as of the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Union Charter Township, but is politically independent. Part of the city (with a population of 8,741) is located within the

Isabella Indian Reservation The Isabella Indian Reservation is the primary land base of the federally recognized Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation, located in Isabella County, Michigan, Isabella County in the central part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The tribe also has some ...

, the base of the federally recognized

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan () is a federally recognized band of Chippewa (a.k.a. Ojibwe) located in central Michigan in the United States. The tribal government offices are located on the Isabella Indian Reservation, near the city ...

. The tribe's Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in nearby Chippewa Township is also within the reservation boundaries. Mount Pleasant is home to the main campuses of

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a Public university, public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eigh ...

, one of the largest universities in the state with 20,000 students at Mount Pleasant, and

Mid Michigan Community College Mid Michigan College (Mid) is a public community college with two locations in Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States ...

. The student population nearly doubles the population of the city during the academic year, making it a

college town A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...

. Despite its name, the surrounding area is mostly flat and does not feature any mountains or hills.

History

Until the mid-19th century, this area was occupied by historical bands of the

Ojibwa people The Ojibwe (; syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains, extending into the subarctic and thro ...

, known by English speakers as the Chippewa. In the early decades of the century, they ceded vast amounts of land to the United States government, which wanted to enable settlement by European Americans. The federal Graduation Act of 1854 allowed settlers to purchase land from the government at discount rates, and the first white settlers began to arrive in what became Mount Pleasant. Under the Treaty of 1855, the Ojibwa bands (

) from the Saginaw, Swan Creek, and Black rivers were relocated to land in Isabella County (

).Cumming, John. ''This Place Mount Pleasant.'' Mount Pleasant, MI: J. Cumming, 1989. Many non-natives soon moved to Mount Pleasant, predicting prosperous relations with the natives. The

Homestead Act of 1862 The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of t ...

also attracted many new settlers to Mount Pleasant, including new European immigrants, They worked to develop their stake on free lands offered by the US government in exchange for their labor in developing it for residence and

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. The village and future city developed. In 1875, a devastating

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

started at the Fancher Building on the north corner of Broadway and Main streets. It moved east down Broadway, destroying several buildings. Seven years later another fire would damage buildings on the south side of Broadway. In 1879 the first

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

was established in Mt. Pleasant. Known as "The Library, Literary, and Musical Association of Mount Pleasant," its first books were made up of the personal book collections of the board members. In 1890, W.A. Jordan started Mount Pleasant Business College. Expanding in 1892, the school changed its name to Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, as it incorporated a curriculum of teacher training. It was the origin of what is now

. The Mt. Pleasant main campus is the largest of 8 CMU locations in the state, with just over 10,000 undergrad students living on campus or campus affiliated housing in the fall of 2022

On January 3, 1893, the U.S. government opened an American Indian boarding schools, Indian boarding school called the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School. Indian children were forced to give up their cultural ways and assimilate to using the English language and adopting European-American culture. The school operated for 40 years, closing in 1933. Since the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the role of such schools has been re-evaluated and the damage done to children by such efforts has been acknowledged. Various Native American groups have taken action to help people reconcile their experiences. On July 17, 2009, the White Bison Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness made a stop in the Mount Pleasant community to recognize this part of the city's history. The boarding school building was abandoned, but the

purchased it from the state of Michigan. In 1928, large quantities of

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

were discovered in the Mt. Pleasant area. A farm owned by the Lilly family was the first to strike, producing hundreds of barrels a day. Although oil resources eventually diminished, this legacy is represented in the Mt. Pleasant city seal, which includes an image of an oil drill. Mt. Pleasant High School's

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

, the Oiler, also refers to the city's history of oil production. The city eventually became known as the "Oil Capital of Michigan".

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The Chippewa River runs through the city. Mount Pleasant is located approximately north of

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

, Michigan's state capital, along

US 127 U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 (I-75) near ...

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 26,016 people, 8,376 households, and 3,100 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 8,981 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.9%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 2.0% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population. There were 8,376 households, of which 18.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 63.0% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 22 years. 11% of residents were under the age of 18; 53.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.8% were from 25 to 44; 11.9% were from 45 to 64; and 7.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 25,946 people, 8,449 households, and 3,126 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 8,878 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.12%

, 3.67%

, 1.54% Native American, 2.85% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.93% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.49% of the population. There were 8,449 households, out of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.9% were

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 63.0% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 11.5% under the age of 18, 54.1% from 18 to 24, 16.9% from 25 to 44, 10.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,572, and the median income for a family was $43,927. Males had a median income of $32,004 versus $23,869 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $13,177. About 11.4% of families and 37.2% of the population (student population skews this statistic) were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

* is a major north–south route connecting with

and

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

to the south and with

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

and Grayling to the north. * is a loop route traveling through the heart of the city, connecting with US 127 at each end. * continues east to Midland and Bay City and west toward

Big Rapids Big Rapids is a city and the county seat, seat of government of Mecosta County, Michigan, United States. The population was 7,727 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 10,601 in 2010 United States census, 2010. The city is sur ...

. * Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport is located northeast of the central business district.

Education

-Mount Pleasant Campus * Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College * Mount Pleasant Public Schools including Mount Pleasant High School *

Sacred Heart Academy Sacred Heart Academy may refer to various institutions: in the United States: *Sacred Heart Academy (Redlands, California) *Sacred Heart Academy (Hamden, Connecticut) * Sacred Heart Academy (Stamford, Connecticut) *Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville ...

, private Catholic school

Local media

;Newspapers: * ''The Morning Sun'' (Daily) * ''Central Michigan Life'' (Published Monday and Thursday during the

academic year An academic year, or school year, is a period that schools, colleges and university, universities use to measure the duration of studies for a given educational level. Academic years are often divided into academic terms. Students attend classe ...

) * ''The Pulse - aka Central Michigan Pulse'' (Weekly - Published on Thursdays) ;Radio stations: * WMMI (830 AM) -

Talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

(licensed to

Shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

) * WCMU (89.5 FM) - CMU Public Radio * WMHW-FM (91.5 FM) - CMU College Student Radio/The Mountain (Adult Album Alternative) *

WCEN-FM WCEN-FM (94.5 MHz, "The Moose") is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. WCEN has been licensed in Hemlock, Michigan since 2001. It first began broadcasting in 1959 and was originally licensed in Mount Pleasant, Michigan (though t ...

(94.5 FM) - The Moose -

Country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

(licensed to Hemlock; formerly located in Mount Pleasant) *

WCFX WCFX is an FM radio station broadcasting at 6,000 watts in Clare, Michigan. The station primarily serves Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, the home of Central Michigan University, with a Top 40 (CHR) format as "Today's Best Music, 95-3 CFX." The station ...

(95.3 FM) - 95-3 CFX Today's Best Music - Top 40 (licensed to

) * W266BU (101.1 FM) - CMU College Student Radio/The Beat (Rhythmic Contemporary) (repeats WMHW-FM's HD2 signal) * WCZY-FM (104.3 FM) - My 104-3 - Adult Hits ;TV stations: * WCMU (Channel 14) - PBS

Notable people

* James "Gerbs" Bauer, astronomer * Mark Beard, racing driver *

Ryan Brehm Ryan Brehm (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional golfer. Amateur career Brehm played college golf at Michigan State University where he won five times and helped lead MSU to three Big Ten Championships. He later also served as an assi ...

, 3-time NCAA champion golfer * Paul Carey, baseball broadcaster,

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

Tom Crean Tom or Thomas Crean may refer to: *Thomas Crean (1873–1923), Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor *Tom Crean (explorer) (1877–1938), Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer *Tom Crean (basketball) Thomas Aaron Crean (born Ma ...

, college basketball coach *

Dick Enberg Richard Alan Enberg (January 9, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American sportscaster. Over the course of an approximately 60-year career, he provided play-by-play of various sports for several radio and television networks, including N ...

, sports broadcaster *

John Engler John Mathias Engler (born October 12, 1948) is an American politician, lawyer, businessman, and lobbyist who served as the 46th governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2003. Considered one of the country's top lobbyists, he is a member of the Republi ...

, former

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-ele ...

Cindy Figg-Currier Cindy Figg-Currier (born February 23, 1960) is an American professional golfer who joined the LPGA Tour in October 1984. She was instructed by Paul Marchand and Harvey Penick. She also played under her maiden name, Cindy Figg, before her marriag ...

, pro golfer * William S. Hammack. engineering, YouTube personality engineerguy *

Len Kasper Len Kasper is an American sportscaster. Since 2021, he has been the radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball, teaming with color analyst Darrin Jackson on ESPN 1000 and the Chicago White Sox Radio Netwo ...

, baseball broadcaster,

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

Matt LaFleur Matthew Robert LaFleur ( ; born November 3, 1979) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the quarterback coach of the W ...

, head coach,

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

* Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator,

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

Grace McArthur Grace McArthur (1899–1986) was a Michigan-based folk artist known for the top-to-bottom oil paintings she created later in life. Biography Grace Helen Bell was born to Helena Velt and Wilhelm Bell in Detroit, Michigan, on March 15, 1898. G ...

, folk artist * James E. McBryde, Michigan state legislator and salesman * Sara Murray, CNN political correspondent *

Dan Pohl Danny Joe Pohl (born April 1, 1955) is an American professional golfer. Pohl played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. He won two PGA Tour tournaments, both in 1986: the Colonial and the World Series of Golf. However, Pohl may be best know ...

, pro golfer *

Kelly Robbins Kelly Robbins (born September 29, 1969) is an American former professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1992 and won nine LPGA Tour events, including one major championship, during her career. Amateur career Robbins was born ...

, pro golfer * Dan Schafer, musician and songwriter *

John William Tebbel John William Tebbel (1912–2004), was an American journalist, editor, writer, teacher, and media historian. He was known for his four-volume book, ''A History of Book Publishing in the United States'' (1972, Bowker). Biography John William Tebb ...

, journalist, editor, writer, teacher, and media historian.

Sister cities

* Okaya,

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder, Pedro de Valdivia, and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

References

External links

City of Mount Pleasant Homepage

Mount Pleasant Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
* {{Authority control County seats in Michigan Cities in Isabella County, Michigan Micropolitan areas of Michigan