Mason, South Dakota facts for kids

Mason is a fascinating ghost town located in Butte County, in the U.S. state of South Dakota. A ghost town is a place where most or all people have left, leaving behind empty buildings and a quiet reminder of what once was.

What is a Ghost Town?

A ghost town is a former community that has very few or no people living in it anymore. These towns often become empty when the main reason people lived there disappears. For example, a mine might close, or a railroad might change its route. When jobs and opportunities leave, people move away to find new ones. The buildings are then left behind, slowly decaying over time.

History of Mason

The town of Mason was started in 1912. It was named after a local family who lived in the area. For a while, Mason was a busy little community. A post office, which is a very important part of any town, opened in Mason in 1912, the same year the town was founded. This post office helped people send and receive letters and packages. However, the post office eventually closed its doors in 1940. When the post office closed, it was a sign that fewer and fewer people were living in Mason. Over time, like many other small towns, Mason became a ghost town.