The natural landscape surrounding Mount Pleasant has always attracted people to the area. Caddo Indians were early settlers, and the town’s current name may have evolved from a Caddo term meaning “Pleasant Mound.” Established in 1846, Mount Pleasant became a resort destination in the first half of the twentieth century after the discovery of nearby mineral springs. In 1917 the Bankhead Highway was officially routed through downtown Mount Pleasant and was promoted as the point where the Mexico division of the Bankhead branched off the main route and extended southwest toward Mexico City. Today, Mount Pleasant continues attract visitors to its regional lakes and hosts many downtown events. The Historical Museum at the Mount Pleasant Public Library illustrates the area’s rich past.

More Locations in Mount Pleasant

Gaddis Motor Hotel
101 W. 16th St.

There are a number of historic motor inns from the automobile era still dotting the Bankhead Highway through Mount Pleasant, but only this one has a pool. Though early in your travels (if you’re heading west), you might want to stop for the night and relax by the pool and travel back to the 1950s before hitting the road again (and reentering the 21st century).

Grade Separation
Jefferson St. north of Hwy 271

Before there were cars, there was the railroad. In many instances, the Bankhead follows rail lines, and in other instances, the two cross paths. This railroad underpass from 1934 hasn’t changed much from its construction, and it stands as a monument to the ingenuity of those who helped build the Bankhead.

Heritage Park
1713 N. Edwards

Though Heritage Park has been updated with modern amenities found in city parks, artifacts from the 1930s when the park was created can still be found. Stone planters and walls left from its earliest years allow you to imagine what the park must have once been like—full of picnickers and weary travelers—while enjoying a game of baseball!