Mason City was laid out around 1853 and within two years had a grocery store and blacksmith shop. It took approximately 14 years before the first train of the McGregor and Missouri River railroad entered the city. The last remaining steam locomotive of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad which took over has been restored to reflect its original appearance and is located in East park. Nowadays there are several campgrounds in and around the city catering to the many visitors who come to this city each year. The boyhood home of songwriter and playwright of “The Music Man,” Meredith Willson has been restored and is open for tours. To honor him the bridge over Willow Creek has been named Music Man Footbridge and the city established Music Man square. The square features a 1912 streetscape with an ice cream parlor/soda fountain and gift shop, like the set designs from the Warner Brothers motion picture of The Music Man. There is even an interactive museum with Willson’s memorabilia and music-related exhibits. The Stockman House is the first and only Prairie School house in Iowa designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.