Mason, Texas - Fort Mason
Fort Mason was authorized by the US Army in 1848 as part of a string of forts stretching from the Red River to the Rio Grande, which included Fort Worth, and was built in in 1851. (Map) It was named either for Lt. George T. Mason, who was killed during the Mexican War, or for Gen. Richard Barnes Mason, who died only a year before the fort was established. Their principle mission was to protect the settlers from the Kiowas, Lipan Apaches, and Comanches.
The
fort was active until 1861, encompassing 23 buildings, and produced 40
Civil War generals, including Robert E. Lee, John Bell Hood and Albert
Sidney Johnston. Fort Mason was Lee's last post before returning to Virginia
and assuming command of the Confederate Army.
After the Civil War, the US Army reoccupied the fort from 1866 until the end of 1870, when the fort was decommisioned. As Mason grew, builders dismantled the buildings on the grounds and used them for construction projects around town.
In 1967, the fort property on Post Hill was donated to the historical society. In 1975, one of the officers’ quarters was rebuilt on its original foundation as Mason County’s Bicentennial project. Two of the fort’s four rooms, a commander’s office and a parlor, were refurbished in 2000. Currently, the call is out for volunteers to continue to upkeep and upgrading of Fort Mason.
For more information:
Volunteers Needed for Fort Mason Improvements - Mason County News, May 13, 2009