Mason, Texas
| Mason, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Mason County Courthouse
|
|
| 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°WCoordinates: 30°44′52″N 99°13′55″W / 30.74778°N 99.23194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Mason |
| County Seat | May 20th 1861 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor/Council |
| • Mayor | Brent Hinckley |
| • City Administrator | John Palacio |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.7 sq mi (9.5 km2) |
| • Land | 3.7 sq mi (9.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,539 ft (469 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,114 |
| • Density | 579.7/sq mi (223.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 76856 |
| Area code(s) | 325 |
| FIPS code | 48-46968 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1362252 |
| Website | City of Mason |
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.
The first settler is thought to have been William S. Gamel 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. 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 5,000 acres (20 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.
...
Wikipedia