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HISTORY The Mount Pleasant area has a long rich history that begins prior to the Revolutionary War and marches proudly into the 21 st Century. The area has come a long way from its days as a resting point along a commonly traveled corridor. German settlers migrated from Pennsylvania to North Carolina prior to the Revolutionary War and throughout the years built several homes along a corridor referred to as Indian Trail in Cabarrus County. The trail was the common route to travel from Charles Town to Salisbury, both large towns at the time. At that time the Mount Pleasant area was known as the "comfort station." Travelers would rest their horses and themselves in this area. The first officially recorded name of Mount Pleasant appeared in 1833 as Walker's Store. It was named for the postmaster of thc area, Daniel Walker. Two years later a new postmaster changed the community's name to Mount Comfort, in reference to its status as "comfort station". It is unclear how long this name was used, but around the late 1840's seems to be the time when thc name Mt. Pleasant first appears. In 1852, a Lutheran college was established in the community. The college, Mt. Pleasant Collegiate Institute, provided military and good citizenship training. In 1850, a girl's school was established. The Mont Amoena Female Seminary educated young ladies of North Carolina. Mount Pleasant was considered an education hub at the time. While the schools no longer exist, the Mt. Pleasant Collegiate Institute structure houses the Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society Museum. SETTING Eastern Cabarrus County Compared to more rapidly developing areas of the County, eastern Caharrus County is a sparsely developed and predominately rural residential and agricultural area. The further east you travel in the planning area the more evident this becomes. Working farms, both small and large, are still an important land use in the area. Crops such as corn and soybeans and pastureland are evident when traveling through eastern Caharrus County. Several small, unincorporated communities are located in the planning area. They include Rimer, Watts Crossroads, Cold Springs, Georgeville and Barriers Mill. Two incorporated communities, Mount Pleasant and Locust are also within the planning area. Mount Pleasant serves as the activity hub for the planning area. While the majority of Locust is in Stanly County, the Town recently annexed a tract of land in the planning area along Highway 200 (See Map 1). Zoning and subdivision regulations for areas outside of Mount Pleasant are adopted by the Caharrus County Board of Commissioners and administered by the Cabarrus County Planning and Zoning Board. The Cabarrus County Planning Services Division provides technical assistance to both boards.