Mason, Texas

Mason, Texas
City
Mason County Courthouse prior to 2021 fire
Nickname(s):  Gem of the Hill Country
Location of Mason, Texas
Location of the City of Mason
Coordinates: 30°44′52″N 99°13′55″W / 30.74778°N 99.23194°W / 30.74778; -99.23194Coordinates: 30°44′52″N 99°13′55″W / 30.74778°N 99.23194°W / 30.74778; -99.23194
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Mason
County Seat	May 20th 1861
Government
• Type	Mayor/Council
• Mayor	Whitney Leifeste
• City Administrator	John Palacio
Area [1]
• Total	3.69 sq mi (9.55 km2)
• Land	3.65 sq mi (9.46 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation	1,539 ft (469 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	2,114
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	2,305
• Density	630.99/sq mi (243.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76856
Area code(s)	325
FIPS code	48-46968[3]
GNIS feature ID	1362252[4]
Website	City of Mason

Mason is a city in, and the county seat of, Mason County, Texas, United States.^[5] The city is an agricultural community on Comanche Creek southwest of Mason Mountain, on the Edwards Plateau and part of the Llano Uplift. The population was 2,114 at the 2010 census.

History[]

The first settler is thought to have been Peter S. Parker in 1846. The settlement of Mason grew up around Fort Mason, which was established by the United States War Department as a front-line defense against Kiowa, Lipan Apache, and Comanche, on July 6, 1851. George W. Todd established a Fort Mason post office March 8, 1858, which became consigned to the civilian settlement on June 26, 1858.^[6] The protection and commercial possibilities of the fort drew settlers. W. C. Lewis opened a general store that served soldiers and settlers. In 1860, James E. Ranck opened a second store and later became known as "The Father of Mason". Ben F. Gooch and he began leasing 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land to cotton sharecroppers. Mason was voted the county seat in 1861^[7]

After the U.S. Civil War, returning Confederate veterans and German ranchers clashed in 1875 over cattle rustling and other crimes. The resulting killings were known as the "HooDoo Wars". In the midst of the war, Loyal Valley homeowner Tim Williamson^[8] was murdered by a dozen masked vigilantes, who accused him of cattle theft. Williamson's adopted son, Texas Ranger Scott Cooley,^[8] sought revenge. Cooley and his desperadoes, which included Johnny Ringo,^[9] created a reign of terror over the area. During this episode, Ringo committed his first murder, that of James Cheyney.^[10][11]

The first courthouse and jail were built in 1869 of stone walls lined with post oak timbers. After the Hoo Doo War, a new two-story red sandstone jail was built in 1898 by L.T. Noyes of Houston. Noyes was a contractor with Diebold Safe and Lock Company.^[12] A courthouse was built in 1875 and burned down in 1877. A new courthouse was built in 1878 and burned down in 1900. The current granite courthouse was erected in 1909 by architect E. H. Hosford and Co. in the Classic Revival style.^[13] It burned down in 2021, but courthouse records and most furniture had been removed prior to the fire to prepare for a renovation.^[14][15]

On October 3, 1918, 18 months after United States Congress declared war on Germany, the Mason County Council of Defense drew up resolution to abandon the use of the German language in the county. Most county residents are of German heritage.^[16]

The Broad Street Bridge, a reinforced concrete truss and the only one of its kind in Texas, was built across the Comanche Creek in 1918. The span is 102 ft long and composed of two 51-ft spans supported by concrete abutments with a pier at the center. The bridge was slated for replacement by the Texas Department of Transportation, but funding was cancelled.^[17][18]

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.5 km²), all of it land.

Geology[]

Largest topaz[]

The largest gem-quality topaz found in North America came from Mason County,^[19] weighing almost 3 lb (1.4 kg). It had been kept in the Smithsonian Institution, and was transferred to Mason's Museum on the Square.^[20]

Climate[]

Mason experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and a generally mild winter. Temperatures range from 82 °F (27.8 C) in the summer to 45 °F (7.2 C) during winter.

Demographics[]

As of the census^[3] of 2000, 2,134 people, 914 households, and 585 families resided in the city. The population density was 579.7 people per square mile (223.9/km²). The 1,103 housing units averaged 299.6/sq mi (115.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.1% White, 0.19% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 8.25% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 30.04% of the population.

Of the 914 households, 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were not families. About 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was distributed as 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,344, and for a family was $39,310. Males had a median income of $26,736 versus $14,461 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,525. About 15.9% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

The city of Mason is served by the Mason Independent School District and home to the Mason High School Punchers.

Infrastructure[]

• U.S. Highway 87
• Texas State Highway 29
• Ranch Road 1871
• Ranch Road 386

Notable people[]

• Jacob Bickler (1849–1902) German immigrant, educator, founder of two Austin academies, taught summer school in Mason.
• Herman Lehmann (1859 – 1932) German immigrant,^[23] born near Mason, TX, was captured as a child by Native Americans. He lived first among the Apache and then the Comanche but eventually returned to his family later in life, who never stopped looking for him. The phenomenon of a white child raised by Indians made him a notable figure in the United States. He published his autobiography, Nine Years Among the Indians in 1927.
• Fred Gipson (1908–1973), author of Old Yeller and its sequel Savage Sam, was a native of Mason. Both novels eventually became popular Walt Disney films. A bronze statue by Texas sculptor Garland A. Weeks depicting a boy and his dog was erected in his honor in front of the city's library.
• (1880–1957), author, journalist, and historian of the American West, worked with his father, John Warren Hunter, at the Mason Herald newspaper in the 1890s. Hunter later founded Frontier Times magazine and in Bandera.
• Anna Mebus Martin (1820–1864), who chartered the Commercial Bank of Mason, was a wealthy businesswoman and rancher. Her family emigrated from Germany in 1858.
• Rebecca Tobey (b. 1948), American artist of animal sculptures
• Hugh Wolfe (1912-2010), football player

See also[]

• Central Texas Electric Cooperative

References[]

External links[]

• Mason Chamber of Commerce
• Mason County News
• Mason County Historical Commission
• Gems of the Hill Country