Mason City - Iowa - History

Winnebago and Sioux Indians first settled in the woods around the small rivers near Mason City. In 1853 John Long and John Biford came from Illinois to claim timber and prairie land on the Winnebago River. Later that same year a town called Shibboleth was laid out on the site of Mason City by Long, Joseph Hewitt and George Brentner. In the fall came John L. MacMillian and James Jenkinson who built the first log cabin within the limits of modern Mason City. John B. Long, founder of Mason City, named the densely wooded area Masonic Grove in honour of the Order of Free Masons. En route from Illinois to Iowa, Long's son Mason died. In memory of his son, the town became Masonville. When the first post office was erected, there being two towns in the state named Masonville, the present-day Mason City came into being. The first plat was filed in July, 1855 to John Long and George Brentner. The first railroad, Milwaukee System, came in 1869. The Cerro Gordo Press had been started in 1858, under the direction of Datus E. Coon, its first editions being in the form of a seven-column folio. On January 19, 1870, Mason City was incorporated and from its original one square mile or less, it has grown to an area better than 12 square miles. Industry got its start in 1886 in the form of lime, brick and tile. Growth was rapid and after 1900 the city grew as a service, retail and distribution centre with the addition of cement, pork packing and beet sugar industries.

Originally settled by John Mason in 1850, this community was first called Masonic Grove before being called Masonville and later, Mason City. In 1912 Mason City shipped the largest freight tonnage in the state of Iowa In 1912 Mason City produced more brink and tile and more Portland cement that any city in the world.