Editing Bryson, Texas (section)

==History==
[[File:Henry Bryson, first resident of Bryson, Tx.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Henry Bryson, the first resident of Bryson]]
The community was first settled in the late 19th century. Originally known as "Mount Hecla", a post office opened under that name in 1878.<ref name="Texas Escapes">{{cite web | url = http://www.texasescapes.com/CentralTexasTownsNorth/Bryson-Texas.htm | title = Bryson, Texas | work = | publisher = Texas Escapes Online Magazine | date =  | accessdate = 2009-02-14}}</ref> Henry Bryson built the area's first residence, a log cabin, that same year.<ref name="Texas Handbook"/> The community was later renamed after him. This change was officially recognized in 1884, when the local post office took the name "Bryson". Mr. Bryson went on to serve as County Commissioner.<ref name="Texas Escapes"/> Early pioneer family names of Bryson were Blount, Chambers, Clayton, Cook, Crumpton, Cullers, Enlow, Epperson, Henderson, Keyser, Kuykendall, McCloud, Moore, Raley, Shanafelt and Vanhooser.

The Chicago, Rock Island and Texas Railway, a subsidiary of the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad]], reached Bryson in the fall of 1902. Although oil had been discovered in Jack County as early as 1898, it wasn't until the mid-1920s that Bryson became an oil processing center for local producers.<ref name="Texas Handbook"/> The resulting population boom led to the community being known as Jack County's "second city" (after [[Jacksboro, Texas|Jacksboro]]).<ref name="Texas Escapes"/>

On June 6, 1929, the town incorporated a mayor-council form of government. Men who served there include B.B. Bryson, Sam Cullers, L.O. Moore, J.R. Clayton, Willis Williams, and Williard Schlitter. The town had a population of 641 in the [[1930 United States Census|1930 census]]. A 1938 oil boom in Bryson helped the population explode, with many people forced to live in tents. In 1940, the census dropped back to 806. As oil production declined, so did the population. The low point occurred in 1970, when only 455 people lived within the city limits.<ref name="Texas Escapes"/> During the latter half of the 20th century, Bryson slowly grew to over 500 residents. In 1988,  seven businesses were serving the community.<ref name="Texas Handbook"/> Reportedly, 22 businesses were in Bryson as of 2004.<ref>[http://www.texasalmanac.com/ Texas Almanac] – Retrieved February 14, 2009.</ref>