Editing Mason County, Texas (section)

==History==
{{Prose|section|date=December 2013}}
* Original inhabitants [[Lipan Apache people|Lipan Apache]], [[Comanches]]<ref name="Mason County, Texas">{{cite web|last=Rhoades|first=Alice J|title=Mason County, Texas|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcm04|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
* 1847 [[Meusebach–Comanche Treaty]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Comanche Indian Treaty |url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5411000991 |publisher=William Nienke, Sam Morrow |access-date=November 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718162232/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5411000991 |archive-date=July 18, 2011 }}</ref>
* 1851, July 6 – [[Fort Mason (Texas)|Fort Mason]] is established.<ref>{{cite web|last=DeVos|first=Julius E|title=Fort Mason, Texas|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbf34|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
* 1858, January 22 – Mason County, named for Fort Mason, is established by an act of Texas state legislature.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mason County – Mason vicinity|url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5319011285|work=Texas State Historical Markers|publisher=William Nienke, Sam Morrow|access-date=November 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707072328/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5319011285|archive-date=July 7, 2011}}</ref> First post offices are established.
* 1860 Population of 630 includes 18 slaves.
* 1861,
: February – County, spurred in part by anti-slavery sentiments of German residents, overwhelmingly votes against [[Texas in the American Civil War|secession]] from the Union.
: March – Fort Mason surrendered to the [[Confederated States of America|Confederacy]], who leave it mostly vacant and thereby cause an uptick in Indian attacks on the area.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Texas Forts Trails|journal=Texas Monthly|date=June 1991|page=72}}</ref><ref name="Texas Escapes-Fort Mason, Texas">{{cite web|title=Texas Escapes-Fort Mason, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/Forts/Fort-Mason-Texas.htm|publisher=Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
: May 20 – Voters select town of Mason as County Seat.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rhoades|first=Alice J|title=Mason, Texas|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hjm06|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
* 1866–1868 Federal troops occupy Fort Mason, only to eventually abandon it.<ref>{{cite web|title=History Fort Mason (1851–1871)|url=http://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-forts8.html|work=Texas Forts of the Old West|publisher=Legends of America|access-date=November 27, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124065200/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-forts8.html|archive-date=November 24, 2010}}</ref>
* 1869 Courthouse and jail are erected.<ref name="Mason County Courthouse">{{cite web|title=Mason County Courthouse|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasHillCountryTowns/MasonTexas/MasonCountyCourthouseMasonTexas.htm|publisher=Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC.|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
* 1870 May 16 – [[Herman Lehmann]] and brother Willie are captured by Apaches, but Willie escapes within days.<ref name="Nine Years Among the Indians, 1870-1879: The Story of the Captivity and Life of a Texan Among the Indians">{{cite book | last = Lehmann | first =Herman | last2=Hunter | first2=J Marvin | last3=Giese | first3=Dale F | title =Nine Years Among the Indians, 1870–1879: The Story of the Captivity and Life of a Texan Among the Indians | url = https://archive.org/details/nineyearsamongin00herm | url-access = registration | publisher =University of New Mexico Press | year =1993   | isbn = 978-0-8263-1417-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=The Savage Life Of Herman Lehmann | publisher=Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC. | author=Hudspeth, Brewster | url=http://www.texasescapes.com/They-Shoe-Horses-Dont-They/The-Savage-Life-of-Herman-Lehmann.htm | access-date=November 27, 2010}} Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC.</ref>
* 1870–1898 The county had four women homesteaders: Louisa J. Hendryx, Mahala Hunnicutt, Sarah E. Morris and Priscilla Sparks<ref>{{cite web|last=Gould|first=Florence C|title=Mason Co Tx Women Homesteaders|url=http://www.txgenweb2.org/txmason/WomenHomesteaders.html|publisher=Tx Gen Web|access-date=November 27, 2010|author2=Pando, Patricia N|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101020101409/http://www.txgenweb2.org/txmason/WomenHomesteaders.html|archive-date=October 20, 2010}}</ref>
* 1875–1877
: County’s first newspaper begins publication.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gem of the Hill Country-Mason, Tex|url=http://www.hillcountryportal.com/mason.html|publisher=Hill Country Portal|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
: [[Mason County War|Hoo Doo War]] over cattle rustling.<ref name="The Mason County Hoo Doo War, 1874-1902 (A.C. Greene Series)">{{cite book | last = Johnson | first =David | last2=Miller | first2=Rick | title = The Mason County ""Hoo Doo"" War, 1874–1902 (A.C. Greene Series)  | publisher =University of North Texas Press | year = 2009  | isbn = 978-1-57441-262-8}}</ref>
: Most famous participant in the war is [[Johnny Ringo]], who on September 25, 1875, kills James Cheyney.<ref name="John Ringo, King of the Cowboys: His Life and Times from the Hoo Doo War to Tombstone, Second Edition (A. C. Greene)">{{cite book | last = Johnson | first =David | last2=Parsons | first2=Chuck | title = John Ringo, King of the Cowboys: His Life and Times from the Hoo Doo War to Tombstone, Second Edition (A. C. Greene)  | publisher =University of North Texas Press | year = 2008  | isbn =978-1-57441-243-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=The Mason County Hoo Doo Wars | publisher=TexFiles | author=Hadeler, Glenn | url=http://www.texfiles.com/texashistory/hoodoowar.htm | access-date=April 30, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100512150122/http://www.texfiles.com/texashistory/hoodoowar.htm | archive-date=May 12, 2010 | url-status=dead }} TexFiles</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Johnny Ringo and the Hoo Doo War | url=http://www.johnnyringo.com/jrtexas.html | access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref>
: Courthouse fire destroys all records.<ref name="Mason County Courthouse"/>
* 1878, May 12 – Herman Lehmann, escorted by soldiers, finally returns to his family.<ref name="Nine Years Among the Indians, 1870-1879: The Story of the Captivity and Life of a Texan Among the Indians"/>
* 1880s Manganese is discovered. Wakefield Company opens Spiller mines. Iron ore is discovered. Prospecting begins for gold, silver and coal.<ref>{{cite web|last=Garner|first=L Edwin|title=Mineral Resources and Mining|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gpm01|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Society|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
* 1882–83 [[Hereford]] cattle are introduced into the county.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leatherwood|first=Art|title=Hereford Cattle|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ath01|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref> Provisions made for county wide road work.
* 1887 The county petitions for state aid for needy residents.
* 1890s County places a bounty on wolves, wildcats and mountain lions.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}
* 1902 Mason installs its first telephone in the county judge's office.
* 1918 October 3 – Eighteen months after [[United States Congress]] declares war on [[Germany]], the Mason County Council of Defense draws up resolution to abandon the use of the German language in the county. The majority of County residents are of German heritage.<ref name="Mason County, Texas"/>
* 1919 First oil and gas lease in the county. Construction begins on the Mason County section of the Puget Sound-to-the-Gulf Highway.
* 1920s Radios come to Mason County.
* 1938 [[Pedernales Electric Cooperative]] is formed to provide rural electrification. Mason County joins in June.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wentsch|first=George M|title=Pedernales Electric Coop|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/dpp02|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Society|access-date=November 27, 2010}}</ref>
* 1946 Local soil-conservation board organized. County schools consolidated.
* 2021 [[Mason County Courthouse (Texas)]], constructed in 1909, burns down as a result of arson.