Long Mountain

Long Mountain is near Leon Creek one-half mile northwest of U.S. Highway 377 in western Mason County. It probably gets its name from a nearby summit, also called Long Mountain. The area, which had been settled for some time by scattered ranchers, began to develop into a community in 1915, when a small school just inside the Mason county line was consolidated with the Leon school, located on the border of Menard County. This school was subsequently moved to Long Mountain in Mason County, where it also became a residence for the area's teachers. County agent W. I. Marschall formally organized the school in 1923 and led efforts to promote the Long Mountain school and raise funds for it. In 1929 it was consolidated with the Haystack school. By 1945 all rural schools in the area were consolidated with the Mason system, and local school communities died out. The community has been kept alive by an active community club. In 1961 this club joined the Texas Community Improvement Program and restored the old rock school building, which became the community hall and was still being used as such in 1985.