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History in a Pecan
Shell
Settled
by German immigrants from the Fredericksburg
area about 1858, the name was either given to honor the loyalty and cooperation
of the settlers, or to proclaim German loyalty to the Union. It is one of the
oldest communities in Mason County.
During the 1870s outlying communities
sought shelter in Loyal Valley from hostile Indians. It was also a stage stop
between San Antonio and Fort
Concho. A post office was in operation from 1868 to 1919.
The first
school opened in 1870 and a later stone building was built by Phillip Buchmeyer.
In the early part of the Twentieth Century, the town was thriving. Brush arbor
meetings were held and cotton and livestock fueled the economy.
Loyal Valley
became a popular hunting destination. From an estimated population of 194 in 1904,
it shrank to a mere 25 in the 1930s. But it reached 1000 just before WWII
and as late as the 1970s, the town still had a population of 150.
Photographer's
Note:
The church and cemetery are about 40 yards from each other and
are divided by a dirt road. - Erik Whetstone |
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Mason
County 1907 Postal map showing Loyal Valley
(Below
"N" in "MASON")
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
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