On Austin Street (State Highway 29) at N. Art Road, on the right when traveling east on Austin Street.
Heinrich Conrad Kothmann (1798-1881) and his wife Ilse Katherine Pahlmann (1810-1905) and their family sailed from Germany to Indianola, Texas in 1845. Among the first families to settle in Fredericksburg, the Kothmanns were issued a 640 acre land . . . — — Map (db m44445) HM
Near Loeffler Lane, 0.2 miles east of Ranch to Market Road 783.
Built 1862. Second church of any faith in Mason County. Housed first school in the county. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1965 — — Map (db m91747) HM
On Broad Street at Starling Street, on the right when traveling south on Broad Street.
In 1914, citizens of Mason petitioned the county commissioners court for a reliable means of crossing Comanche Creek, which separated north and south Mason. Initial construction bids were deemed too high and a second petition was presented in . . . — — Map (db m155730) HM
Near Ranch to Market Road 2389, 0.9 miles south of Ranch to Market Road 1723, on the left when traveling south.
Born in Mississippi, Dizenia Peters moved to Texas with her parents about 1835. She married William P. Smith in 1844, and had a son, James. After Smith’s death, she married George W. Todd (1827-1901) in 1851; they had 3 daughters. Todd and members . . . — — Map (db m91933) HM
On Fort McKavett Street (U.S. 87), on the right when traveling west.
At this site on February 5, 1847, seven or eight Penateka Comanches headed by Chief Ketumusua (also Ketumsee, Katemcy, Katemoczy) had their first encounter with an expedition of German immigrants led by John O. Meusebach. The group of about forty . . . — — Map (db m150347) HM
On San Antonio Street (U.S. 87) at Westmoreland Street, on the left when traveling north on San Antonio Street.
(front side)
Fort Mason, located 5 blocks south, was headquarters for the first regiment Texas Mounted Rifles 1861-62. These Confederate troops occupied the line of old U. S. forts to give protection against Indians.
215 . . . — — Map (db m118232) HM
Near Horse Mountain Road, 0.2 miles east of Ranch to Market Road 2242, on the right when traveling east.
German immigrants Moritz and Auguste Lehmann settled along Squaw Creek (4 mi. w) in the 1850s. After Moritz’s death, Auguste married Phillip Buchmeier. On May 16, 1870, two of the Lehmann children, Herman (age 10) and Willie (age 8) were captured by . . . — — Map (db m90986) HM
On Fort McKavett Street (U.S. 87), on the right when traveling west.
Founded by brothers-in-law William Hofmann and Ernest H. Bogusch, Hofmann and Company opened for business in August 1890, providing the citizens of Mason and the surrounding communities with a central supply and trading source. The name of the store . . . — — Map (db m150758) HM
On U.S. 87 at Ranch to Market Road 2242, on the right when traveling south on U.S. 87.
By 1848, German colonization reached area under direction of John O. Meusebach, who succeeded Prince Carol of Solms-Braunfels as colony leader and who signed treaty with Comanches allowing peaceful settlement of the land between the Llano and San . . . — — Map (db m90956) HM
On Koocksville Road at Koocksville Lane, on the left when traveling west on Koocksville Road.
Pioneers began to settle this locality in the 1850s. The oldest marked grave in Crosby Cemetery is dated 1856. The community became known as Koocksville after William Koock (1838-1890), a native of Germany, built a one-room log store here in 1867. . . . — — Map (db m155731) HM
Near U.S. 87 at Ranch to Market Road 1723, on the right when traveling south.
Created January 22, 1858, and organized August 2, 1858, this county was named for its most important settlement, Fort Mason.
Garrisoned intermittently from July 6, 1851, to March 23, 1869, Fort Mason was named for Lt. G.T. Mason of the United . . . — — Map (db m91741) HM
On Fort McKavett Street (U.S. 87) at Broad Street, on the right when traveling east on Fort McKavett Street.
Constructed in 1909, this is the third courthouse to serve the people of Mason County. Commissioners Court probably met in other locations until the first courthouse was built in 1872. It burned in 1877 and was replaced that year by a second red . . . — — Map (db m118894) HM
On Westmoreland Street at Post Hill Street, on the left when traveling west on Westmoreland Street.
A good example of a small, nineteenth-century jail, this structure was built in 1894 from the brown sandstone available in the nearby hills.
The ground floor of the county's third jail includes living quarters for the sheriff, while the jail . . . — — Map (db m118199) HM
On Westmoreland Street west of San Antonio Street (U.S. 87), on the left when traveling west.
Throughout the 1890s, private banking institutions sporadically served Mason residents. In December 1903, several pioneer settlers met to form a new bank. It received its authorization in January 1904 as the German American National Bank of . . . — — Map (db m118200) HM
On U.S. 87, 0.1 miles north of U.S. 377, on the left when traveling north.
Situated near a spring long used by Indians; built of stone quarried from Post Hill. Fort helped protect Texas frontier from Indians. Colonel Robert E. Lee stationed in Texas 2 years, commanded Fort Mason from Feb. 1860 to Feb. 1861. Here he made . . . — — Map (db m90948) HM
On U.S. 87, 0.5 miles south of Ranch to Market Road 1222, on the right when traveling south.
During the 1850s and 1860s, Mason County landowner “Major” Joshua Peters, supplied cut prairie grasses from here to Fort Mason for their horses. The community which developed took the name Peter’s Prairie. In 1877, John Rhoads and W.H. . . . — — Map (db m90947) HM
On San Antonio Street (U.S. 87), on the right when traveling north.
Born and educated as an architect in Germany, Richard E. Grosse (1860-1944) came to Mason County in 1882. Settling first in Plehweville (Art), he worked as a stonemason and married Louisa Carolina von Donop in 1886. He opened a lumberyard and, upon . . . — — Map (db m150762) HM
On Spruce Street at Post Hill Street, on the right when traveling west on Spruce Street.
Established July 6, 1851 by the U. S. Army as a protection to the frontier Named in honor of Lieut. George T. Mason, killed in action near Brownsville, April 25, 1846 Albert Sidney Johnston, George H. Thomas, Earl Van Dorn and Robert E. Lee, of . . . — — Map (db m29972) HM
On Moody Street at Fort McKavett Street (U.S. 87), on the right when traveling south on Moody Street.
German immigrant Anna Mebus (1843-1925) came to Texas in 1858 and married her merchant cousin, Karl Martin (1828-1879), in 1859. After his death she continued to operate their Mason store and post office, and by the 1880s was handling the cash of . . . — — Map (db m150760) HM
On Ranch to Market Road 2389, 0.9 miles south of Ranch to Market Road 1723, on the left when traveling south.
Named for family of George W. Todd, first Mason County clerk, which was attacked by Indians at this site while en route to Mason in late Dec. 1864.
A 12-year-old black servant girl was killed, 13-year-old Alice Todd taken captive, and Todd’s . . . — — Map (db m91934) HM
On Fort McKavitt Street (U.S. 87) 0.2 miles south of Koocksville Rd / W. Spring St, on the left when traveling south.
A native of Kentucky, Thomas S. Milligan (1810-1860) moved to this area in 1855 and operated a change station for the stage line. He was also a rancher and supplied beef to the soldiers at Fort Mason. Shortly after Mason County was organized in 1858 . . . — — Map (db m90949) HM
On State Highway 71, 0.1 miles west of Farm to Market Road 501, on the right when traveling west.
Pontotoc, settled about 1859, was named by first merchant, M.R. Kidd, for his former home town in Mississippi. Post office was opened in 1878 in the B.J. Willis home, with Mrs. Willis postmaster.
Founded by interested citizens, San Fernando . . . — — Map (db m91458) HM
