Mason, Texas (population: 2,134), is the Mason County Seat and is 64 miles N of Kerrville, 42 miles NW of Fredericksburg, and 110 miles W of Austin. Fort Mason was established in 1851, and settlers came because of the protection the fort provided from Indians. Germans moved into the area from Fredericksburg. In 1858 the town received mail as well as the fort's supplies from San Antonio. The post office opened and the name was changed to Mason that same year.
This building was built in 1928 as Fort Mason Hotel, a brick 4-story building with 54 rooms, ballroom, barber shop and drugstore.
The Odeon Theater, which has been in continuous operation since 1928. Odeon is the Greek word for theatre. In the late 1950’s the Odeon was the site of the pre-premier of Walt Disney’s Old Yeller, based on Mason native Fred Gipson's book by the same name.
Hey, Chris,
ReplyDeleteWhen you were in Mason, did you get a chance to eat at Santos? It's an old 1920's-30's-style Texaco station that's now a Tex-Mex restaurant. They've pretty much left it as it was. Good food.
Chasrich
chasrish,
ReplyDeleteWe actually ate a place called Willow Creek Cafe, which is in the fourth picture. I saw Santos, though. I think it was near Grosse & Sons.
In the UK at least, ODEON = Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation.
ReplyDeleteI knew that my grandad used to sell ODEON screen advertising across north east Scotland in the 1950s - hence as a Rank Organisation employee he'd have been a co-worker with the likes of Dirk Bogard and Kenneth More! - and, via the power of Wikipedia, I've just learnt that Deutsch's first cinema was opened not far from where my grandad was from.
That's neat. I guess "Odeon" has been used by a lot of people in the theater/theatre business, for varying reasons. I'd heard of Dirk Bogard, but I must admit I had to Google More.
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