The  Mount  Pleasant  Female  Seminary  was  first  opened  in  September,  1863'
under  the  management  of  the  Rev.  G.  P.  Bergen,  and  by  him  was  incorporated
under  the  laws  of  the  State  on  February  3,  1864.
After  one  year,  the  institution  became  the  property  of  Rev.  Edward  L.
Belden  and  others— the  former  owning;  nearly  all  the  stock.     An  act  for  the


HISTORY  OF  HENRY  COUNTY.  433

re-incorporation  was  recorded  on  June  3,  1865,  the  incorporators  being  Rev.
Edward  L.  Belden,  J.  H.  Whiting,  Dr.  Thomas  Morton  and  Margaret  C.
McCullough.     Of  the  four,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Belden  and  Dr.  Morton  are  dead.
The  institution  is  a  large  brick  building,  located  on  the  south  side  of  the
Burlington  road,  near  the  property  of  the  Insane  Hospital.  A  portion  of  the
building  had  been  erected  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  school,  and,  in  1867,  a
large  four-story  addition  was  put  up.  The  accommodations  are  very  extensive.
The  number  of  students  from  year  to  year  is  eighty-five  to  one  hundred.
Classes  of  from  five  to  eight  are  graduated  each  year.  The  object  of  the
Seminary  is  to  give  a  thorough  education  to  the  young  ladies  intrusted  to  the
care  of  the  tutors.
The  first  corps  of  instructors  under  the  Belden  regime  were  Rev.  E.  L.
Belden,  Mrs.  Jane  M.  Belden,  Miss  M.  C.  McCullough,  Mrs.  R.  P.  Morton  and
Miss  Anna  M.  Smith,  in  the  literary  department ;  Miss  Jennie  M.  Smith  and
Miss  Helen  M.  Mead,  in  the  musical  department,  and  Miss  Helen  M.  Mead  in
the  drawing  and  painting  school.
OI'    OLDEN    TIMES.
