Mason County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Mason County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Texas Online Genealogy Records

Description
The county was named for Fort Mason. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Mason County Courthouse PO Box 702 Mason, TX 76856 Phone: 915.347.5253 County Clerk has birth, death and burial records from 1903, marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1877 and land records from 1850

County and District Clerk

P.O. Box 702 Mason 78656 Phone: 915-347-5253

Mason County has had three courthouses. The first one built in 1875, burned in 1877. The second courthouse was built in 1878. The current courthouse was built in 1909.

History
1846--Settlement of the county began about 1846.

Parent County
1858--Mason County was created 22 January 1858 from Gillespie County and Bexar Land District.
 * County seat: Mason

Record Loss
1877 -- The first Mason County Courthouse burned on 22 January 1877 during the Mason County HooDoo War.

Places / Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties
Gillespie •  Kimble  •  Llano  •  McCulloch  •  Menard  •  San Saba

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Lutheran

 * Records of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Mason County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Local Histories

 * Mason County Historical Book, 1976, by the Mason County Historical Commission.
 * Mason and Mason County: A History, 1966, revised, 1980, by Stella Gipson Polk.
 * Mason County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.

Maps

 * Texas Land Survey Maps for (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military

 * 1838 - 1900 - Texas Muster Roll Index Cards at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Mexican-American War

 * 1845 - 1848 - US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry.com — index $

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Online Newspapers
 * Texas Digital Newspaper Program at The Portal to Texas History

Probate
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images

Taxation

 * 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at findmypast ($) — index and images

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1840 - 1981 Texas, Births and Christenings, 1840-1981 - FamilySearch
 * 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1802 - 2010 - Texas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1837 - 1965 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1837 - 1973 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837 - 1977 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966 - 2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010 FamilySearch record collection
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records'


 * 1890 - 1976 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images]
 * 1903 - 1973  at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1964 - 1998 Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [[Texas, Death Index, 1964-1998
 * 1977 - 1986  at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1968 - 2005 Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005 (index) Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968 -2010  at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Societies and Libraries
Mason County Historical Commission PO Box 524 Mason, Texas 76856 website Mason County Library 410 Post Hill Mason, Texas 76856 Telephone Number: 325-347-5446 Fax: 325-347-6562 website Mason County Museum 210 Bryan (Northeast corner of Moody and Bryan) Mason, Texas 76856 Hours: Thurs-Sat, 10 am-noon and 1-4 pm. Closed January &amp; February. Website Museum on the Square 130 Fort McKavett (north side of the square) Mason, Texas 76856 Hours: Thurs-Sat, 10:00 am-4:00 pm Website

Websites

 * Mason County TXGenWeb
 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county
 * — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.