Mason’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold just one old photo of Mason. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗In 1836 Charles Noble knew that Michigan would be seeking a central location for a new capital when it became a state. He purchased an area of forest, cleared 20 acres (81,000 m2), and founded Mason Center. The "Center" was soon dropped. In 1847, however, the state chose Lansing Township 12 miles (19 km) northward to be its capital due to its potential for water power. Noble managed to make Mason the county seat instead. Ingham County's first downtown courthouse was built in 1843, and was replaced in 1858, and the economy thrived in the first decades based on sawmills, carriage and cart factories, copper shops, a steam flourmill and a buffalo robe manufacturer. In 1865, Mason was incorporated as a village; in 1875 the town became a city. In the 1800s, Mason was the center of Ingham County activity, even more than was Lansing, the state capital. In 1877, Lansing attempted to take the sta…
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Mason’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mason’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewHouse at, 1978: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Mason
See all 12 →
Mason, decade by decade
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as House at (1978) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.