08/29/2026
Thank you Berry Canote for posting this history! Mt Pleasant Baptist Association was one of three associations that merged together to form what we know today as Crossroads Baptist Association!
Long before Moberly Area Community College opened its doors, higher education was already thriving in Randolph County, Missouri.
In 1853, local leaders recognized the need for a college. Judge William A. Hall, Henry Austin, and P.P. Ruby petitioned the Mount Pleasant Baptist Association to sponsor the institution. The Association agreed, and Mount Pleasant College was born. Built along what is now Dryer Drive (formerly Short Street) in Huntsville, the main building was designed and constructed by architect Solomon Jenkins, opening in 1857 at a cost of $12,500 with 127 students enrolled. Early leadership included Rev. William Thompson, Rev. J.H. Carter, and Bettie Ragland, who headed the women’s department. Rev. W.R. Rothwell later succeeded Rev. Thompson as president.
The outbreak of the Civil War forced the college to close in 1861, transforming the campus into a critical military hub. It served as headquarters for Company F of the 46th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia, and regularly hosted Union commanders including Brig. Gen. Clinton Fisk, Brig. Gen. J.B. Douglass, and Col. E.G. Catherwood. Troops from the 14th Illinois Volunteers, 9th MSM Cavalry, and 35th Enrolled Missouri Militia all passed through its grounds. Tragedy struck on September 26, 1864, when three Confederate soldiers—Charles King, Charles Tillotson, and Capt. D.S. Washburn—were executed on the college grounds.
The college reopened after the war under Rev. James Terrill, who oversaw major improvements, including a new dormitory and an 1869 building renovation by C.B. Clarke. Its most famous alumnus was renowned physician Dr. Victor C. Vaughan.
Tragedy struck again on July 16, 1882, when a fire destroyed the main building, forcing Mount Pleasant College to close permanently. Though the dormitory stood until March 1947, its legacy lived on locally—Dr. Philip Dryer salvaged its bricks to build his residence and the Main Street medical office he shared with Dr. Wilson
