Mason County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Mason County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Mason County
In 1860 the census counted 18 enslaved people in Mason County, 3% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1 freedman registered to vote there, under 1% of the county's voters. 1 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 18
- Enslaved in 1860
- 3%
- Of the county in 1860
- 177
- Registered voters
- 1
- Freedmen
- under 1%
- Freedmen
- 10 years
- Median time in Texas
- 5
- Register pages
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Mason County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1850s | 1 |
Surnames of freedmen in Mason County
- Menard 1
Mason County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 1 names in the Mason County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menard, Reif | United States | 1857 | 7 |
Sources and county history
Figures come from the 1867 to 1870 Texas voter registration held by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The 1860 population figures come from Population of the United States in 1860, printed by the Census Office in 1864. Mason County's entries fill 5 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Mason County was formed out of Gillespie County by 1860.
Questions about the Mason County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Mason County, Texas?
Search the Mason County records by surname, then open the entry to read the original handwritten register page. Each entry gives the man's name, his birthplace and the year he reached Texas. Spellings vary, so try the sound of a name as well as its spelling, and names appear in the order men came to register, so a family can sit pages apart.
How many freedmen registered to vote in Mason County in 1867?
1 freedman registered in Mason County between 1867 and 1870, under 1% of the county's 177 registered voters.
Was slavery widespread in Mason County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 18 enslaved people in Mason County, 3% of everyone living there. In 1867, under 1% of Mason County's registered voters were freedmen, 1 of 177. 1 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Mason County: Gillespie County.
For African American genealogy beyond Mason County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Mason County