Simonville

Grossville was just east of Farm Road 1723 and four miles southeast of Mason in central Mason County. The first German settlers arrived in the area in 1855 and 1856. The town that developed was originally called Hohenstein, but when Peter Simon and his family moved to the area in 1856, the community came to be known as Simonville or Simonsville. Around 1878 Louis Gross settled further north, and the settlement in his area was called Grossville. Eventually, as Simonville expanded to the north, the entire community came to be known as Grossville. Some of the early homes were still standing in 1939. They were typically built of log frames with plastered stone walls. Smokehouses and stables were built with passages to the house to afford protection during Indian raids. The community's first school, a small picket building with a dirt floor, was replaced with a stone structure in 1892; the walls of this school were still standing in 1966. The community traditionally had its greatest activity during deer-hunting season. A community center was functioning in 1947 and was still active in 1966. Grossville was not shown on the 1983 county highway map.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.