Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Mason City
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Discover
Panama Canal infographic
Timeline and Map of the Panama Canal
Stylish light blue jeans on wooden background, closeup of inset pocket
Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket?
Colorful winter sunset
What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes
Monitor. Varanus salvadorii is a monitor lizard found in New Guinea can grows to 2.7 metres (9 ft.) aka Tree crocodile, Crocodile monitor, Salvadori's monitor, artellia, reptile
7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Lizards and Turtles
Indian hijras participate in a religious procession in Gandhinagar, India, some 30 kilometers from Ahmedabad, on March 22, 2017. Hijra is a term used in South Asia which refers to transgender individuals who are born male. (gender identity, gender expression)
6 Cultures That Recognize More than Two Genders
Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and autodidact.
6 Interesting Facts about Srinivasa Ramanujan

Mason City

Iowa, United States
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/place/Mason-City
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Masonic Grove, Shibboleth
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

Mason City, city, seat (1855) of Cerro Gordo county, northern Iowa, U.S., along the Winnebago River, about 120 miles (195 km) north of Des Moines. The area was inhabited by Winnebago and Sioux peoples when Freemasons arrived to settle the site in 1853; its earlier names were Shibboleth, Masonic Grove, and Masonville before the present name was adopted. The city is underlain by deposits of clay and limestone, and large quantities of sand and gravel are also available, hence it long has supported a substantial cement industry.

In addition to cement, the city’s diversified industries include the manufacture of wood products, processed foods, ice machines, and rubber gaskets. Mason City was the hometown of the composer Meredith Willson and was the “River City” of his highly successful Broadway musical The Music Man (1957); his Queen Anne-style boyhood home has been preserved as a museum. The Stockman House (1908), designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, has been restored, and the Charles H. MacNider Museum includes the puppet collection of puppeteer Bil Baird. The city is the seat of the North Iowa Area Community College, founded in 1918 and the oldest two-year college in the state. The resort area of Clear Lake is 10 miles (16 km) west. Inc. 1870. Pop. (2000) 29,172; (2010) 28,079.