Mount Pleasant’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 2 old photos of Mount Pleasant. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Settlement of Mount Pleasant began in the early 19th century, and increased following the construction of the Military Road connecting Nashville and Madisonville, Louisiana, in 1817. By the time Mount Pleasant incorporated as a city in 1824, it was home to a store, tavern, and several churches.
In 1895, brown phosphate rock was discovered in Mount Pleasant, leading to a mining boom, and giving the city its nickname. Within a few years, ten phosphate mining companies were operating in Mount Pleasant, producing over 25,000 tons per year. The city's population grew from 466 in 1890 to 2,007 in 1900. Phosphate mining remained a major part of the city's economy into the latter half of the 20th century.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Mount Pleasant’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mount Pleasant’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewChurch at Mount Pleasant, Tenness…, 1862: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Mount Pleasant
See all 3 →
Mount Pleasant, decade by decade
LOCDouble railroad tracks head into a thicket near Mount Pleas…2021
CommonsMount-Pleasant-UDC-monument-tn12016
CommonsMount-Pleasant-Main-tn22016
CommonsMount-Pleasant-Main-tn12016
CommonsMount-Pleasant-Hay-Long-tn12016
CommonsMount-Pleasant-City-Hall-tn12016
CommonsWalnut Grove2015
CommonsBreckenridge Hatter's Shop20158 historic places in Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant has 8 listings on the National Register, and they protect 102 historic buildings, because Pleasant Historic District alone counts 60. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier, which fewer than 3% of listings reach.
Where they are
When they were listed
LandmarkListed 1971Rattle and Snap
Listed 1970St. John's Episcopal Church (Additional Documentation)
Listed 1984Walnut Grove
Listed 1984Breckenridge Hatter's ShopListed 1973Hamilton Place (Additional Documentation)Listed 1986William Watkins HouseListed 1989North Main Street Historic DistrictListed 1989Pleasant Historic DistrictThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Church at Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, April 1, 1862 (1862) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (8), the Library of Congress (2) and the National Register (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.