Mason City in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Meredith Willson

Mason City's Favorite Son

— 1902-1984 —

Meredith Willson Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 17, 2026

1. Meredith Willson Marker

Inscription.
Meredith was born and raised in Mason City. He always loved music and following high school graduation in 1919, studied music at Damrosch Institute in NYC, now the Juilliard School. In 1921, he realized his dream of playing in the John Philip Sousa Band as principal flutist. Later he was principal flutist with the New York Philharmonic. He worked in radio from 1926-1953, including the Armed Forces radio services.

Meredith started composing music in the 1920s, ranging from A Symphony of San Francisco to the Chicken Fat Song, to three hit Broadway shows: The Music Man, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Here's Love, now called Miracle on 34th Street - The Musical.

The Music Man had 1,375 Broadway performances and won six Tony Awards. It is performed yearly in over 300 communities. The movie premiered in Mason City in 1962 during band festival.

President Kennedy presented Meredith with the National Big Brother Award and President Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumously).

——————————— Iowa questers donated the funds to replicate the bird bath and sundial that originally sat on the tombstone

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and Mason City's Chautauqua Circuit Questers, the matching bench. Landscaping enhancements were underwritten by the Music Man Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.

Location. 43° 8.42′ N, 93° 12.46′ W. Marker is in Mason City, Iowa, in Cerro Gordo County. It can be reached from the intersection of 15th Street Southwest and South Federal Avenue (U.S. 65). Marker is located at Elmwood Cemetery, next to Willson's gravesite. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 252 15th St SW, Mason City IA 50401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Iowa. It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 17, 2026

2. Meredith Willson Marker

Located at Willson's gravesite at Elmwood Cemetery.

St. John Baptist Church (approx. half a mile away); "The Music Man" (approx. ¾ mile away); Cronin-Dexter Camp No. 28 United Spanish War Veterans (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Historic Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank (approx. 0.8 miles away); Mason City Area Veterans Monument (approx. 0.9 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away); Replica of the Statue of Liberty (approx. 0.9 miles away); Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mason City.

Also see . . .
1. Meredith Willson on Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 29, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
2. Meredith Willson (official website). (Submitted on October 29, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Meredith Willson grave marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 17, 2026

3. Meredith Willson grave marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 29, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.