Welcome to Mason County, West Virginia!
Welcome to the official website of Mason County!
This website is intended to provide you with an overview of our county’s government and the unique opportunities our county has to offer. Please take the time to explore our site and let us know how we can better serve our community through this medium. We would like to thank the students of Hannan High School, the WV Association of Counties, the Community Connect Foundation, the WV Office of Technology and WV Interactive for making this website a reality. We hope that you continue to check in with us as we strive to make this website a useful tool for everyone who has an interest in Mason County.
The “shot heard round the world,” was not fired at Lexington, as is so often said, but rather at Point Pleasant, where the offices are located for Mason County.
In 1908 the United States Senate, in effect, rewrote history by recognizing the claim of the DAR and Livia Simpson Poffenbarger that the “First Battle of the Revolution” was fought at Point Pleasant. The federal government has erected a monument attesting to the fact. The battle that was fought there was a decisive engagement in the protracted series of Indian Wars. This one was won by Brig. Gen. Andrew Lewis of the Virginia border militia. He thoroughly routed Chief Cornstalk on October 10, 1774. Fort Blair had been built that year to protect the settlers.
There’s more interesting early history connected with Point Pleasant. In 1849, a lead plate was found buried at Mansion House in Tu-Endie-Wei Park. The plate had been buried in 1749 by Capt. Peter Joseph Celeron, claiming the Ohio River, all its tributaries, and all the lands drained by the river and its tributaries for Louis XV, king of France. Celeron is supposed to have buried four such lead plates, but so far only two have been found.
Point Pleasant was named by George Washington in 1770 while he was exploring the region. It is situated on a promontory shaped like an arrow head. The Ohio River contributes much to the economy because of the shipyards and dry docks. The lower levels of the city were often flooded in the past. The residents knew it was going to happen and were well prepared.
Mason County is in the western part of the state, known for its bituminous coal mines, natural gas, livestock, fruit farms, corn, and tobacco.
Mason County was founded in 1804. While more than a dozen counties were formed before Mason in 1804, LaSalle reportedly visited this area in 1669. Washington was a known visitor to what has become Mason County as early as 1770. Comprising some 446 square miles of area, Mason County is named in honor of George Mason, who was the author of the Constitution of Virginia and a member of the United States Constitutional Convention which met in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787. The Ohio River contributes much to the economy because of the shipyards and dry docks. The lower levels of the city were often flooded in the past. The residents knew it was going to happen and were well prepared.
Mason County is in the western part of the state, known for its bituminous coal mines, natural gas, livestock, fruit farms, corn, and tobacco. Mason County was founded in 1804. While more than a dozen counties were formed before Mason in 1804, LaSalle reportedly visited this area in 1669. Washington was a known visitor to what has become Mason County as early as 1770. Comprising some 446 square miles of area, Mason County is named in honor of George Mason, who was the author of the Constitution of Virginia and a member of the United States Constitutional Convention which met in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787.