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KOOCKVILLE,
TEXASMason County,
Texas Hill Country
2 Miles NW of Mason
Population: Part of Mason
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The
former Koock Store and Community Building
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, August 2006 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
German settlers transmigrating from Fredericksburg
began arriving in the early 1850s. These were joined by Irish immigrants
in the middle of that decade. The towns namesake(s) were William and
Minna Koock who opened a store in their log house just after the Civil
War. Due to its proximity to Mason,
the Koocks never saw the need to apply for a post office.
Koock's store became a stop for cattle buyers from more western counties.
The log store/ residence was rebuilt as a large stone structure in
1883. The building's second floor served as a community center and
a place to hold civic meetings. The town thrived after the Civil War
and the new prosperity made Koock a banker as well as a storekeeper.
Koock later built a large flour mill and gin on his property but it
was torn down and the stone cannibalized to build the VFD building
in Mason. Koockville did have its own school at one point.
A decline in cattle and sheep prices sent the town into a slump, but
when William Koock was killed in a riding accident (1890) his family
moved into Mason and eventually
sold the businesses (1899). Without the driving force of William Koock,
the town would've become a ghost, but it's nearness to Mason has caused
it to evolve into part of that city. |
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