city, seat (1836) of Henry county, southeastern Iowa, U.S., near the Skunk River, 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Burlington. Settled in 1834, it was surveyed in 1837 and named for its commanding elevation and pleasant shade trees. It is the site of the state's first courthouse (1839). A plank road was built from Burlington to Mount Pleasant in the early 1850s, followed a few years later by the railroad. This spurred the town's subsequent growth.

Mount Pleasant is now a distribution centre and has diversified manufacturing, including the production of telecommunications equipment, bus bodies, metal fireplaces, and rubber hoses. It has a branch of Southeastern Community College (1920) and is the home of Iowa Wesleyan College (1842); the Harlan-Lincoln Home (1857) on the campus, restored as a museum, was formerly the home of James Harlan, an early president of Iowa Wesleyan and a U.S. senator from Iowa, whose daughter Mary married Robert Todd Lincoln (Lincoln, Robert Todd). The Midwest Old Threshers Heritage Museums include a large collection of agricultural equipment, steam engines from the turn of the 20th century, and a collection of theatre props and memorabilia; associated with the museums is the annual Old Threshers Reunion (late August–early September). Nearby are Geode State Park (southeast) and Oakland Mills State Park (southwest). Inc. town 1842; city, 1857. Pop. (1990) 8,027; (2000) 8,751.

city, seat (1859) of Isabella county, central Michigan, U.S., located on the Chippewa River about 45 miles (70 km) west of Bay City. It was a Native American trading post and lumber camp in the 1850s and later became a farming centre. Its development was sustained by the arrival of the railroad (1879) and the establishment there (1892) of a normal school (which by 1959 had developed into Central Michigan University) and of a federal Indian school (1891; later a state school and now closed). After the discovery of oil in the vicinity (1927), the city became the state's “oil capital.” Its economy is now balanced between diversified agriculture, manufacturing (notably landscaping and restaurant equipment and auto parts), and educational activities. Mid Michigan Community College (1965) has a campus in the city. Mount Pleasant lies partially within the Isabella Reservation of the Saginaw Chippewa ( Ojibwa) tribe; the tribe's casino resort is a major regional employer. Inc. village, 1875; city, 1889. Pop. (2000) 25,946; (2005 est.) 26,253.

town, Charleston county, southeastern South Carolina, U.S., on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway overlooking Charleston Harbor and linked to Charleston (west) by the Cooper River (John P. Grace) Bridge. Settled in the 1690s, the town originated around Jacob Motte's plantation as a resort for island planters. Nearby Sullivan's Island, site of Fort Moultrie (1809; now part of Fort Sumter National Monument) was the setting for Edgar Allan Poe (Poe, Edgar Allan)'s story “The Gold Bug.” The economy is based on light industries, shipyards, tourism, and the seafood industry. The Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum has several ships that are open to visitors, including the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. Inc. 1837. Pop. (1990) 30,108; (2000) 47,609.