Mason, Texas
Encyclopedia
Mason is the seat of Mason County
, Texas
, United States
. The town 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.
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.
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". He and Ben F. Gooch began leasing 5000 acres (20.2 km²) of land to cotton sharecroppers. Mason was elected the county seat in 1861
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 home owner Tim Williamson was murdered by a dozen masked vigilantes who accused him of cattle theft. Williamson’s adopted son Texas Ranger Scott Cooley
sought revenge. Cooley and his desperadoes, which included Johnny Ringo
, created a reign of terror over the area. It was during this episode that Ringo committed his first murder, that of James Cheyney.
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. A new courthouse was built in 1875, which burned down in 1877 destroying all county records. The 1878 courthouse was destroyed in 1900. The current granite courthouse was erected in 1909 by architect E. H. Hosford & Co. in the Classic Revival style.
On October 3, 1918 October, eighteen 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. The majority of County residents are of German heritage.
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' long and composed of two 51' 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 canceled.
of 2000, there were 2,134 people, 914 households, and 585 families residing in the city. The population density
was 579.7 people per square mile (223.9/km²). There were 1,103 housing units at an average density of 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.04% of the population.
There were 914 households out of which 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 non-families. 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 spread out with 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 the median income 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.
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.
, but recently it has returned to Mason County for display in our Museum on the Square.
Mason County, Texas
Mason County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 4, 012. Its county seat is Mason...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The town is an agricultural community on Comanche Creek southwest of Mason Mountain, on the Edwards Plateau
Edwards Plateau
The Edwards Plateau is a region of west-central Texas which is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihuahuan Desert to the west. San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio roughly outline the area...
and part of the Llano Uplift
Llano Uplift
The Llano Uplift is a roughly circular geologic dome of Precambrian rock, primarily granite, in Central Texas in the United States. It is located in the eastern region of the Edwards Plateau, west of the Texas Hill Country...
. The population was 2,114 at the 2010 census.
History
The first settler is thought to have been William S. Gamel in 1846. The settlement of Mason grew up around Fort MasonFort Mason (Texas)
Fort Mason was established July 6, 1851 in what later became Mason County. It was named in honor of Lieut. George Thomson Mason, United States Army Second Lieutenant killed in the Thornton Affair during the Mexican–American War near Brownsville, April 25, 1846. At various times from 1856 to 1861...
which was established by the United States War Department as a front-line defense against Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
, Lipan Apache and Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
, 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.
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". He and Ben F. Gooch began leasing 5000 acres (20.2 km²) of land to cotton sharecroppers. Mason was elected the county seat in 1861
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 home owner Tim Williamson was murdered by a dozen masked vigilantes who accused him of cattle theft. Williamson’s adopted son Texas Ranger Scott Cooley
Scott Cooley
Scott Cooley was an Old West Texas Ranger and later outlaw, best known for his association with gunman Johnny Ringo.-Biography:Cooley was born in Texas, and was unofficially adopted as a boy and raised by rancher Tim Williamson...
sought revenge. Cooley and his desperadoes, which included Johnny Ringo
Johnny Ringo
John Peters "Johnny" Ringo was an outlaw Cowboy of the American Old West who was affiliated with Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell in Cochise County, Arizona Territory during 1881-1882.-Early life:...
, created a reign of terror over the area. It was during this episode that Ringo committed his first murder, that of James Cheyney.
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. A new courthouse was built in 1875, which burned down in 1877 destroying all county records. The 1878 courthouse was destroyed in 1900. The current granite courthouse was erected in 1909 by architect E. H. Hosford & Co. in the Classic Revival style.
On October 3, 1918 October, eighteen months after United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
declared war on Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Mason County Council of Defense drew up resolution to abandon the use of the German language in the county. The majority of County residents are of German heritage.
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' long and composed of two 51' 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 canceled.
Notable people
- Jacob BicklerJacob BicklerJacob Bickler was a scholar, educator and president of the Texas State Teacher's Association. He was founder of the boys' Texas German and English Academy and the co-educational Bickler Academy, both located in Austin, Texas...
(1849–1902) German immigrant, educator, founder of two Austin academies, taught summer school in Mason. - Fred GipsonFred GipsonFrederick Benjamin Gipson was an American author. He is best known for writing the 1956 novel Old Yeller, which became a popular 1957 Walt Disney film. Gipson was born on a farm near Mason in the Texas Hill Country, the son of Beck Gipson and the former Emma Deishler...
(1908–1973) Novelist: Old YellerOld YellerOld Yeller is a 1956 children's novel by Fred Gipson, which received a Newbery Honor in 1957. It was illustrated by Carl Burger. The title is taken from the name of the big yellow dog who is the center of the book's story...
and its sequel Savage SamSavage SamSavage Sam is the 1963 film sequel to Old Yeller written by Fred Gipson. It was inspired by the story of former Apache captive Herman Lehmann, whom Gipson had seen give an exhibition when he was a child....
, 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 town's library. - J. Marvin HunterJ. Marvin HunterJohn Marvin Hunter was an author, historian, journalist, and printer who founded the Frontier Times Museum in Bandera, Texas...
(1880–1957), authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of the American West, worked with his father, John Warren Hunter, at the Mason Herald newspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in the 1890s. Hunter later founded Frontier Times magazineMagazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
and Frontier Times MuseumFrontier Times MuseumFrontier Times Museum is a museum of the American West located in Bandera in the Texas Hill Country. The facility was opened to the public in 1933 by the author, historian, and printer John Marvin Hunter .-Museum exhibits:...
in BanderaBandera, TexasBandera is the county seat of Bandera County, Texas, United States,in the Texas Hill Country, which is part of the Edwards Plateau. The population was 957 at the 2000 census, and according to a 2009 estimate, the population had jumped up to 1,216 people...
. - Anna Mebus MartinAnna Mebus MartinAnna Henriette Mebus Martin was a German-born Texas rancher and business woman. She rose from poverty to become one of the wealthiest Texans of German ancestry in her time. She chartered the Commercial Bank of Mason in 1901, and served as its president for twenty-four years...
(1820–1864) Chartered the Commercial Bank of Mason, wealthy business woman and rancher. Her family emigrated from Germany in 1858.
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 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,134 people, 914 households, and 585 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 579.7 people per square mile (223.9/km²). There were 1,103 housing units at an average density of 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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.04% of the population.
There were 914 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 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 spread out with 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 the median income for a family was $39,310. Males had a median income of $26,736 versus $14,461 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
Geography
Mason is located at 30°44′52"N 99°13′55"W (30.747796, -99.231880).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.5 km²), all of it land.
Largest Topaz
The largest gem quality topaz found in North America came from Mason County. It weighs just shy of three pounds. For much of its life it has been in the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, but recently it has returned to Mason County for display in our Museum on the Square.
Transportation
- U.S. Highway 87
- Texas State Highway 29
- Ranch Road 1871
- Ranch Road 386