Mason family donates 165-year-old artifacts to Leander

The donation adds to the city’s collection of historic artifacts of the Mason family. In 2005 Leander acquired and restored the Mason Homestead, an 1860s-era farmhouse at 1101 S. Bagdad Road that is now managed by Leander Parks and Recreation.

Leander Mayor Chris Fielder said he and city staffers picked up the trunks from Thompson’s property.

“They had been in a barn for [165] years, so you can imagine what they looked like,” he said. “They were actually in better shape than what I had thought.”

Smithers Furniture Refinishing in Austin restored the trunks, and a member of the city’s building maintenance department built the wooden display cases and two plaques for the trunks, Fielder said.

One trunk is on display in Leander City Hall, and the second is housed in C.C. Mason Elementary School.

Amy Bray, an instructional coach at the school, said the students have been asking questions about the trunk since it arrived in early November. She said she is aiming to acquire more artifacts to create a small museum of Mason family history.

“It’s cool to see the kids’ excitement over an old trunk,” she said. “I love the enthusiasm it has brought to the kids to want to learn more about the community.”