This is Roswell Henry Mason born 31 Dec 1841 to Roswell B. Mason (1805-1892) and Harriet Lavinia Hopkins (1808-1891). Roswell's father was an engineer who worked construction relating to the Erie Canal. Roswell B. would become the Chief Engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad and it was to Chicago that the family moved.
Roswell B. (father) would run on a reform ticket and become the mayor of Chicago in 1869. He was the mayor during the Great Chicago Fire and was the one who placed the city under martial law. His response to the disaster was considered key in helping the city to recover. In a nod to the respectability of the Mason family, Mason, Illinois is named after him.
So back to the son and the one pictured here. Roswell Henry would himself go on to become an engineer. He enlisted in the Union Army in Illinois and was a decorated Captain by the time he left service. Roswell H. married Mary J. Brown on 2 June 1870 in Chicago. It wasn't long after that he was assigned as a Surveyor General for the Montana Territory. The Mason family would spend about a decade in Montana before moving back to Chicago.
Roswell and Mary would have 2 sons. Roy Murdoch Mason (1879-?) and Elmer Brown Mason (1880-1955). Roy is an interesting son to trace as he was an ad man in NY for awhile before developing a bit of wanderlust. From the 1920's through the 1950's, Roy and his wife Mary Roberson can be found crossing the Atlantic often and visiting a number of European locations. They had no children. Roy is one where there seem to be no available death records. Every Ancestry tree found has the incorrect Roy for the records on death.
The other son, Elmer, was a bit of a writing celebrity. He wrote science fiction stories and was published. Sadly, he was gassed in the trenches in WWI which badly affected his health and his writing suffered. Elmer did eventually marry but had no children of his own.
Contributor: B. Dunphy (48428797)
Roswell B. (father) would run on a reform ticket and become the mayor of Chicago in 1869. He was the mayor during the Great Chicago Fire and was the one who placed the city under martial law. His response to the disaster was considered key in helping the city to recover. In a nod to the respectability of the Mason family, Mason, Illinois is named after him.
So back to the son and the one pictured here. Roswell Henry would himself go on to become an engineer. He enlisted in the Union Army in Illinois and was a decorated Captain by the time he left service. Roswell H. married Mary J. Brown on 2 June 1870 in Chicago. It wasn't long after that he was assigned as a Surveyor General for the Montana Territory. The Mason family would spend about a decade in Montana before moving back to Chicago.
Roswell and Mary would have 2 sons. Roy Murdoch Mason (1879-?) and Elmer Brown Mason (1880-1955). Roy is an interesting son to trace as he was an ad man in NY for awhile before developing a bit of wanderlust. From the 1920's through the 1950's, Roy and his wife Mary Roberson can be found crossing the Atlantic often and visiting a number of European locations. They had no children. Roy is one where there seem to be no available death records. Every Ancestry tree found has the incorrect Roy for the records on death.
The other son, Elmer, was a bit of a writing celebrity. He wrote science fiction stories and was published. Sadly, he was gassed in the trenches in WWI which badly affected his health and his writing suffered. Elmer did eventually marry but had no children of his own.
Contributor: B. Dunphy (48428797)
This is Roswell Henry Mason born 31 Dec 1841 to Roswell B. Mason (1805-1892) and Harriet Lavinia Hopkins (1808-1891). Roswell's father was an engineer who worked construction relating to the Erie Canal. Roswell B. would become the Chief Engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad and it was to Chicago that the family moved.
Roswell B. (father) would run on a reform ticket and become the mayor of Chicago in 1869. He was the mayor during the Great Chicago Fire and was the one who placed the city under martial law. His response to the disaster was considered key in helping the city to recover. In a nod to the respectability of the Mason family, Mason, Illinois is named after him.
So back to the son and the one pictured here. Roswell Henry would himself go on to become an engineer. He enlisted in the Union Army in Illinois and was a decorated Captain by the time he left service. Roswell H. married Mary J. Brown on 2 June 1870 in Chicago. It wasn't long after that he was assigned as a Surveyor General for the Montana Territory. The Mason family would spend about a decade in Montana before moving back to Chicago.
Roswell and Mary would have 2 sons. Roy Murdoch Mason (1879-?) and Elmer Brown Mason (1880-1955). Roy is an interesting son to trace as he was an ad man in NY for awhile before developing a bit of wanderlust. From the 1920's through the 1950's, Roy and his wife Mary Roberson can be found crossing the Atlantic often and visiting a number of European locations. They had no children. Roy is one where there seem to be no available death records. Every Ancestry tree found has the incorrect Roy for the records on death.
The other son, Elmer, was a bit of a writing celebrity. He wrote science fiction stories and was published. Sadly, he was gassed in the trenches in WWI which badly affected his health and his writing suffered. Elmer did eventually marry but had no children of his own.
Contributor: B. Dunphy (48428797)
Roswell B. (father) would run on a reform ticket and become the mayor of Chicago in 1869. He was the mayor during the Great Chicago Fire and was the one who placed the city under martial law. His response to the disaster was considered key in helping the city to recover. In a nod to the respectability of the Mason family, Mason, Illinois is named after him.
So back to the son and the one pictured here. Roswell Henry would himself go on to become an engineer. He enlisted in the Union Army in Illinois and was a decorated Captain by the time he left service. Roswell H. married Mary J. Brown on 2 June 1870 in Chicago. It wasn't long after that he was assigned as a Surveyor General for the Montana Territory. The Mason family would spend about a decade in Montana before moving back to Chicago.
Roswell and Mary would have 2 sons. Roy Murdoch Mason (1879-?) and Elmer Brown Mason (1880-1955). Roy is an interesting son to trace as he was an ad man in NY for awhile before developing a bit of wanderlust. From the 1920's through the 1950's, Roy and his wife Mary Roberson can be found crossing the Atlantic often and visiting a number of European locations. They had no children. Roy is one where there seem to be no available death records. Every Ancestry tree found has the incorrect Roy for the records on death.
The other son, Elmer, was a bit of a writing celebrity. He wrote science fiction stories and was published. Sadly, he was gassed in the trenches in WWI which badly affected his health and his writing suffered. Elmer did eventually marry but had no children of his own.
Contributor: B. Dunphy (48428797)
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