Mt. Pleasant celebrates nation’s birthday at Hub City Days
Mt. Pleasant is known for its 19th-century Main Street buildings, being home to Wasatch Academy, and for being the largest city in the northern half of the county. After taking lumber out of Pleasant Creek Canyon in late 1851, a band of Mormon colonists from Manti led by Madison D. Hambleton returned in the spring of 1852 to establish the Hambleton Settlement near the present site of Mt. Pleasant.
By 1880, at which time Mt. Pleasant was the county’s largest city, with a population of 2,000, more than 72 percent of its married adults were foreign born. This ethnic diversity had an important impact on village life during the 19th and early 20th centuries. For decades, five languages were commonly spoken in town, creating confusing and sometimes amusing communication problems.
The city was incorporated in 1868, a year after the first co-operative store was founded, starting what became a burgeoning commercial district. Upon the arrival of the Rio Grande Western Railway in 1890, both the local population and the city’s prosperity increased dramatically.
By 1900, Mt. Pleasant had grown to nearly 3,000 persons, the largest size reached by any city in Sanpete County to that time and the city had earned one of its nicknames, ‘Hub City.’
Hub City Days
At the present time, Mt. Pleasant residents welcome visitors into town to celebrate the annual ‘Hub City’ Days with games, parades, Mountain Man Rendezvous, good food and of course, rodeos, beginning Thursday, July 2.
Mt. Pleasant Rodeo Association annually holds a free rodeo fun night, with games on horseback in the Mt. Pleasant Rodeo Arena on U.S. Highway 89. The free event will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 2. Fun for the entire family and the concession stand will be open with food available at reasonable pricing.
On Friday, July 3, starting at 7 p.m., there will be mutton bustin’ followed by the rodeo at 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 4, begins early with a cancer fun run, starting in the parking lot of El Mexicano Restaurant at 7 a.m., with free T-shirts for all participants.
At 8 a.m., there will be a tennis tournament for doubles and singles at North Sanpete High School tennis courts. There is a small entry fee.
On the lawn of Mt. Pleasant Carnegie Library, a book sale will entice book worms of all ages beginning at 9 a.m. and at 11 a.m., the children’s parade will get underway on State Street followed by the Mammoth parade at 11:30 a.m.
Beginning at 1 p.m., there will be all day events in the city park, including entertainment, craft and food booths, wagon rides, free games for children and Blackhawk Rendezvous. Wagon rides will be free until 4 p.m.
Over in the rodeo arena, watch little buckaroos cling to the back of sheep for the ever-popular mutton bustin’ event at 7 p.m., followed by the rodeo at 8 p.m. Best fireworks in the county will bring the celebration to an end following the rodeo.
One of the most popular events of Hub City Days is the Blackhawk Rendezvous, scheduled for Thursday, July 2 through Sunday, July 5, sponsored by Mt. Pleasant City and T and T Muzzleloaders.
There will be black powder shoots, primitive demonstrations, Dutch oven cook-off, booths, food and much more.
Contact Dave or Pat Gonzalez, (435) 462-0152 or (801) 367-9849 or send an email to Oldsoldier1911@gmail.com.