Plainview in Wabasha County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Peace Corps Pioneers
Photographed by Dave Buchanan, 2024
1. Peace Corps Pioneers Marker
In 1961 President John F. Kennedy established the US Peace Corps, a concept originally proposed by Minnesota Senator Hubert H. Humphrey. The Peace Corps was created from the President's call to "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country." Among the first Peace Corps Volunteers answering the President's call in 1962 and completing their tours in 1964 were Plainview area residents: Kenneth Fliιs serving in Brazil, Philip Mahle in Sierra Leone, Walter Mischke in Venezuela and Charles Rheingans in Thailand.
"I was present at the creation, when the bright flame of conviction took hold in the imagination of the country and the Peace Corps became a promise fulfilled." - Journalist Bill Moyers
In 1962 there were some 25,000 incorporated cities and towns in America, many with populations in the tens of thousands versus Plainview with a population of only 1,400. The fact that four of these first Volunteers in 1962 came from this small rural town and area in America speaks to the uniqueness of the community's citizens, institutions and culture at that time in American history. By 2014, 215,000
this page online
"It [Peace Corps] has been an enduring American legacy of service in the cause of peace, a timeless symbol of some of America's most honorable ideals and aspirations." - Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Service
Erected by National Peace Corps Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Charity & Public Work. A significant historical year for this entry is 1961.
Location. 44° 9.535′ N, 92° 10.176′ W. Marker is in Plainview, Minnesota, in Wabasha County. It is at the intersection of 3rd Street Southwest and South Wabasha Street (Minnesota Route 42), on the right when traveling south on 3rd Street Southwest. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Plainview MN 55964, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, in the Driftless Area Bluff Country, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically,
Photographed by Dave Buchanan, 2024
2. Peace Corps Pioneers Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 16 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Millville, Minnesota (approx. 8.6 miles away); Geology of Minnesota (approx. 9.6 miles away); Before The Freeways (approx. 15.1 miles away); Medical Pioneers of Minnesota (approx. 15.1 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2024, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 150 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 23, 2024, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia.
