County history
German Settlers and Fort Mason Shaped This County
Mason County was carved out of frontier territory in 1858 and settled largely by German immigrants whose influence still shows in local family names, architecture, and culture.
The U.S. Army built Fort Mason in 1851 to protect settlers moving into this part of the Hill Country. The fort drew German immigrants from Fredericksburg and New Braunfels, who were led west by colonizer John O. Meusebach in the mid-1840s. By the early 1900s, Germans made up 70 to 80 percent of the county's foreign-born population. Mason County was formally established on January 22, 1858.
The county seat, Mason, was chosen by voters in 1861. Cattle ranching was the backbone of the economy: herds were driven north to Kansas markets after the Civil War. The Mason County War (1875–1877) grew from cattle-rustling disputes and flared into violence between German and American settler factions. An 1877 courthouse fire destroyed many early records. Today Mason is also known for blue topaz deposits found in the county since the 1950s. The Handbook of Texas at tshaonline.org carries the full county history.
Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas Online — Mason County