Pleasant Hill

History

Pleasant Hill was platted in 1844 by William Wright and was recorded as the "Original Town of Pleasant Hill." Wright and Methodist circuit rider William Ferrell operated a mercantile store. The original location was on a ridge near Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The community was named after its "pleasant situation on an elevated prairie". Wright also operated a 3-story tavern that was marked by a 12-foot high beacon atop a pole. It was an overnight stop for stagecoaches between Lexington, Missouri and Fort Scott, Kansas. During the American Civil War and the run-up to it in the 1860s, Pleasant Hill was bitterly divided between the factions and was subject to numerous bushwhacking incidents. The most notable incidents involved the congregations of the Christian and Presbyterian churches which were built side by side on High Street. The Presbyterian Church was burnt in the process. In 1863 all residents in the area were forced to move from the community in General Order No. 11 (1863). The new city center was lower than the original and adjoins Big Creek. The Pleasant Hill Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The Pleasant Hill Historical Society Museum, outside that district, but in a building that incorporates elements of other historic buildings, is a museum covering the town's history. In 2016 the former Pacific Railroad line (which was later owned by the Rock Island Railroad) was converted to the western terminus of the 47-mile-long Rock Island Trail State Park (Missouri) and connects the Rails to Trails to the 240-mile-long Katy Trail State Park.

Geography

Pleasant Hill is located in northeastern Cass County at the intersection of Missouri routes 7 and 58 approximately ten miles north-northeast of Harrisonville. Lee's Summit is ten miles to the northwest in adjacent Jackson County. Big Creek flows past the west margin of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,432
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,675
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,026
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,728
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,622
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  4,250
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,160
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,060

Largest nearby schools

• RAYMORE-PECULIAR EAST MIDDLE
  Middle · RAYMORE · 801 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• PLEASANT HILL HIGH
  High · PLEASANT HILL · 712 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• PLEASANT HILL PRIMARY
  Elementary · PLEASANT HILL · 490 students · 14:1 ratio
• TIMBER CREEK ELEM.
  Elementary · RAYMORE · 389 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• PLEASANT HILL MIDDLE
  Middle · PLEASANT HILL · 356 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• PLEASANT HILL INTERMEDIATE
  Middle · PLEASANT HILL · 333 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• PLEASANT HILL ELEM.
  Elementary · PLEASANT HILL · 306 students · 13.9:1 ratio
• STRASBURG ELEM.
  Elementary · STRASBURG · 126 students · 9.7:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.5 — 2024-03-15
  2 km NE of Ferrelview, Missouri
• M 2.6 — 2015-04-04
  3 km ESE of Clinton, Missouri
• M 2.8 — 2014-11-13
  5 km WNW of Prescott, Kansas
• M 3.3 — 2005-05-18
  Missouri