The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1901-11-13
nlatory ofNInson tlitY.
BY Miss Lucy Cooper, OF Mason CIT!
HIGH School

Before the white man came to
this country the land now included
within the chartered limits Of Ma
son, was owned and occupied by a
tribe of Indians, called Shawnees.
The first white settler was a man
by the name of Brown, who came
to Mason about the middle of the
nineteenth century. He bought
the land now known as Mason, and
built log hut on the ground now
owned by Mr.. Samuel Yonker.
In this lowly and humble dwelling
he lived for number of years.
he prospered and in the mean
time built (witnin sight of his old
honey fine brick reside noe, which
is still standing and is occupied hs
a dwelling. The oldest building
now standing in Mason, is the
dwelling house formerly owned and
occupied by Mr., George Patrick,
now by Mr.. Andrew Young. After
number of years Mr.. Brown sold
all of his possessions except the
land within the immediate vicinity
of his homo.
That part now called AdamsYille,
he sold to man named Adams,
that known as Mason to Mr.. Lowell.
This was about the year of 1850 or
1851. Mr.. Champion l.. Osborn
and a man by the name of Cooper,
cleared off the land where the town
now stands.
1t was only dense forest, with
three or four houses in all, of
which is now the beautiful town of
Mason.
In the spring Of 1862 Mr. Lowell,
in partnership with Mr.. Smith,
laid out the town and in the same
year built the first salt furnace and
opened the first GOAL bank. Very
few settlers came to this place and
Mr.. Smith became discouraged and
sold his share to Mr.. James Payne,
This man wanted to see the little
town prosper, and in 1854 he and
Mr.. Lowell built houses and either
sold or rented them to persons,
who, attracted by curiosity oame
to the little town in the woods.
Many settlers began coming in
and owing to the amount of work
and the beauty of the place, few
left and the town began to prosper
very rapidly.
BUTT had no name. The inhab-
itants disagreed on the name; some
wished to call it Brownstown in
honor of the fret settler, while 9th
ers were anxious to call it Mason.
A vote was taken, which resulted
in Mason as the choice of the ma
jority, and as such it has been
known ever since.
The town kept on prospering un-
til finally the OWL War broke out,
and most of the able bodied men
enlisted in the army, and for a
long time business was at stand.
still.
The war at last ended and the
and the men came home and busi-
ness was again resumed, and every
thing went on smoothly until 1888
1884, when the town was visited
by disastrous floods which did
much damage.
Soon after fire destroyed most
of the houses on Front street, and
very few have been rebuilt.
The little town of Mason is sit.
uated on the left bank of the Ohio
river, in the county of Mason, State
of West Virginia. 1t is about one
square mile in area and has pop
ulation of nine hundred and four
people. The town has good com
mercial communication both by
river and railroad, as there are two
railroads, which are of great bene-
fit to Mason; the Ohio River Rail-
road, on this side, and the Hook.
ing Valley, on the other side of the
beautiful Ohio.
The principal streets of this lit
tie town are Ferry, Front, Main,
Second, Third, Horton, Brown and
Anderson streets.
The school houses are located,
one on the corner of Horton and
Main streets, one in Adamsyille,
and one for the benefit of the col
ored pupils, one on Third street,
between Horton and Ferry streets.
The chief occupation of the peo.
pie is coal mining and the manu-
faoture of salt and the making of
i l..;aE