Cache Is Not At The Posted Coordinates
Mr. Toot is the mascot not only of the North Iowa Band Festival, but also for Mason City as a whole. His image has appeared on everything from T-Shirts to business cards to city light poles. Now his image also appears on the geocaching map just south of Mason City Iowa. Each of these puzzles will include a fact or story in theme with the art series. Some may also include a question or two for you to answer correctly to find the coordinates.
Mason City
The Sons of Union Vetrans at their national convention in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1900, voted to build a university to commemorate the deeds of loyalty of our fathers and mothers. They decided to build the university in Mason City, Iowa. This action by the convention was a triumph for a group of leading Mason Cityans who had worked on the project aince A.L. Sorter four years before had thought of the fantastic plan of establishing a "Harvard of the West" here backed by the finances and membership of the powerful veterans affiliate.
As soon as the Syracuse convention gave the go signal, incorporation papers were drawn up for the National Military College Association. The first action of the corporation was to purchase 160 acres south of the Milwaukee station. Forty acres were set aside for the university campus and the remainder divided into lots and sold.
Architects drew plans for buildings on the campus stressing solitary grandeur and somber impressiveness rather than beauty. The campus was to face north with a library and chapel in the center of numerous buildings. The library and chapel in the center of numerous buildings. The library was to be in the shape of a Greek cross with a chapel in the rear.
The cornerstone was laid for the college's first building on June 26th, 1901 and on September 20, 1902. the widely heralded Memorial University opened its doors to the youth of America. Then came shocking disappointment and the haunting fear that the fanfare had been for naught. Only 40 students were enrolled, a considerable number of them from Mason City.
N 43 04.719 W 93 09.706