Mount Vernon

In 1894, the Springfield Democrat ran a series of articles promoting Greene County and all of southwest Missouri, including specific towns throughout the region, especially those located on railroads and, therefore, readily accessible to travelers. Most of the articles about the individual towns were brief and didn't offer a lot of information, but some of them were nonetheless interesting.
Take, for example, an article that appeared in a September 1894 issue about Mount Vernon. The paper reminded readers that Mount Vernon, situated on the Greenfield & Northern Railroad about 40 miles west of Springfield, was the county seat of Lawrence County. Furthermore, the article claimed, Mount Vernon was also the "Mecca of this region for invalids." According to the newspaper, "The purity of the atmosphere, which winnows in from the mountains; the sulphur spring, which is renowned for its medicinal properties, and the reputation of the little city with its 2,000 inhabitants for longevity have made Mt. Vernon famous as a health resort."
The article then went on to cite statistics that, at least in the light of what me know about modern medicine and fitness, seem to call into question whether Mount Vernon was, in fact, a very healthy place. "There are thirty men in the place who weigh between 250 and 300 pounds," said the newspaper, "and the rising generation, some of them promise to tip the scales at 400 pounds and still not have superfluous flesh.
"The town has every possible natural advantage," concluded the article, "while in educational and religious matter it takes a back seat for nothing nor nobody."