Mount Pleasant News; Mount Pleasant, Henry Co, IA; Jan 6, 1947  

Bystander’s Notes  

A reader of these notes inquires as to the location of Chestnut street in this community. The city directories of 1867 and 1870, both quite complete, in the street directories describes Chestnut street as “running north and south, five blocks east of Main and north of Monroe” An old map of the town of 1856 sows a standard street running from Monroe and across the railroad but without a name. Later maps show the same street named Hamline. Hence Chestnut street became Hamline street .  

In naming the streets of our community many are named for men of National fame, many for trees and others for men of local note. Thus we have Adams, Garfield, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, McKinley, Madison, Monroe, Van Buren and Washington named after former presidents. Burr, Clay, Harlan, Jay, Henry, Marken, Warren and Webster are assuredly named for distinguished statesmen and military men of early date.  

Allen, Brazelton, Clark, McDowell, Porter, Saunders, Vernon and White probably are named in honor of local men of prominence. The trees which have always been one of the glories of our community were not overlooked when it came to naming our streets, so we have Ash, Cherry, Chestnut, Elm, Linn, Locust, Mulberry, Orange , Oak, Palm, Pine, Poplar, Sycamore and Walnut.  

Quite a few of the streets enumerated in the old directories are no longer in existence, while on the other hand streets now found in the late directories are not found in the late directories are not found in the old. The early promoters of the community planned to have the town expand ? to the northwest and the northeast blocks, streets and alleys were indicated on the early maps, but the tide of development refused to run in these directions.