Mason Area Historical Society
Mason Area Historical Society

MAHS Publications Available

 
           
Call NOW and ORDER - 517-676-9837      
 
Books!  Several Available for people with varing interets!!!
 
 
" A Walk through Time " 
A pamphlet that takes you on a walking tour of historic downtown Mason.
You can find this at the Musuem at no charge.
 
 
" A Mason Cookbook from the Year 1899 "   $15.00
Compiled by "12 Presbyterian Ladies" of that time and now reporduced in its original form by MAHS.  Lots of recipes you can really use, ads from 1899 Mason businesses, and helpful hints from the past (e.g. the recommends that everyone should wash their hair at least once a month).
 
 
" Down by the Sycamore " - Six Volumes total
Volume 2 $15.00 each   ---    Volumes 1,3,4,5 and 6 are $5.00 each
Nelson Brown's columns which appreared in the Ingham County News from 1937 to 1961 lovingly complied by his daughter Margaret Brown Doolittle.  Stories of life in Mason and the people who lived in the town during those years.
 
 
" Family Stories " - $5.00 each
Stories submitted by many Mason people about themselves and their families. 
 
 
" Hartzog's History of Mason " -  $15.00 each  - Also available at Ware's Pharmacy
A compilation of Hartzog columns that appeared in the Ingham County News.
 
 
" Mason by the Sycamore "  DVD  - $10.00 each
Tells the story of Mason from the glacial era to the 1950's.
 
" Mason Family Memories "
Stories from many of the families in Mason and lots of pictures from the founding of Mason to the present are included.  Books can be purchased at the Maple Street Mall, Best Sellers Bookstore and Coffee Company, and the Museum. 
 
 
 "Sesquicentennial Calandar " (2015)  $5.00 each
Includes early photos of Mason you can frame.
Includes upcoming dates of scheduled events in celebration of Mason's 150th Birthday.
 
 
 
 
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Mason Area Historical Society Postcard Photo Gallery

Images on this page were digitized from a postcard collection reproduced by the Mason Area Historical Society with the following credits:

"Image reproduced by Mason Area Historical Society (est. 1976) to promote
its simple mission ~ To preserve the past and present for future generations."

 

Ash Street Looking West

Circa 1910 view of businesses on Ash and Barnes St. looking west.
Notice the hitching rails around the Courthouse square where you would
have tied up you horse—a watering trough was nearby.

 

 

Birds Eye View of the Sycamore, Mason, Michigan

This BIRDS EYE VIEW looking northwest, was taken by a brave soul who
climbed the Standpipe (old water tower) located on S. Jefferson near
 the railroad tracks. Elm Street is in the foreground.

 

Corner of Maple and Main Streets, Mason, Michigan

Vintage View (circa 1910) of downtown businesses looking west from
corner of Maple and Main (Jefferson St.) — still a thriving center of
commerce. (Shoe store is present day Ware's Pharmacy.)

 

 

Fishing on the Sycamore, Mason, Michigan

Looking east (circa 1910) near the corner of Maple and Lansing streets,
the great stone arch under the tracks is still there today.

 

 

Ingham County Court House

INGHAM COUNTY COURTHOUSE dedicated in 1905. This photo is prior to
1912, when the clock faces in the dome were installed. Notice brickpaved
streets and horse-drawn wagon tied to the rail.

 

 

"Lawrence Block" downtown business

"Lawrence Block" downtown businesses (vintaage view circa 1920) on Ash St.
looking east from the corner of Jefferson.

 

 

Vintage View (circa 1910) looking north from Oak St.)

Vintage View (circa 1910) looking north from Oak St.) of downtown
businesses on the east side of Main St. (Jefferson). While the two wood
buildings no longer exist, the brick barber shop is in the same place today
— can you spot the painted pole by the sidewalk?

 

 

Maple Grove Cemetery

MAPLE GROVE (officially extablished in 1844) serves as a sacred resting place for
thousands — honored veterans, pioneers, and others who made Mason their
home. The top view shows the main entrance off Columbia St. prior to 1940 and
the bottom view shows a second entrance off N. Jefferson.
The white fence is but a memory; a stone wall now graces the main entrance.

 

 

Mason High School

MASON HIGH SCHOOL located on Jefferson St. served Mason students until the
late 1970's. This split view shows an earlier bulding (top) before fire destroyed it
 in 1921, and the 1925 replacement (bottom) which currently serves the community
as a senior citizen apartment complex. Composit photos of classes who 
graduated fom the building still hang in the hallways.

 

 

Mason Power House

Mason Powerhouse formerly on Jefferson St. (north of Columbia). This
building is a memorey to many...this view circa 1920.

 

 

Memorial Building

Memorial Building (Legion Hall) formerly located on Jefferson Street
(just north of the railroad tracks) by the Standpipe. This building is a 
memory...this view circa 1930.

 

 

M. G. Depot train station

Train Depot (view circa 1910) was integral to Mason area commerce.
The depot is now a diner and closest buildings (formerly a grain elevator, coal
company and lumber company ar the site of a thriving antique market.

 

 

Neely and Neely Millinery Shop (circa 1910)

Neely Neely Millinery Shop (circa 1910) located in 100 block of Ash Street,
west of Jefferson. A place where ladies purchased the finishing touches
(like a perfect hat) for the fashion of the day.

 

 

Opera House and Old Armory, Mason, Michigan

Rayner Opera House and G.A.R. Armory (circa 1900), on W. Maple. These
two buildings are but a memory...the site now a parking lot.

 

 

"Paddock Block" downtown businesses (vintage view circa 1910)


"Paddock Block" downtown businesses (vintage view circa 1910) looking
east from a snowy corner of Maple and Park Streets.

 

 

Parade Procession (view circa 1915)

Parade Procession (view circa 1915 taken from upstairs window)
coming north on Jefferson St. toward the intersection at Maple.

 

 

Presbyterian Church (built 1901)

Presbyterian Church (built 1901) graces W. Maple on the Courthouse square.
Stones came from area fields when farmers took part in a "stoning bee." 
The church also has exquisite stained glass windows.

 

 

Rayner Park, Mason, Michigan

Rayner Park (this image circa 1940) has been an integral part of Mason's
landscape since 1872. It is a favored place where families can enjoy 
nature, complete with ponds and a native wood lot.