Mason True Value Hardware

Mason True Value Hardware is a family owned retail hardware store located in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The store is owned by the Mason family: Margaret Mason, Jim and Sally Mason, and Bill Mason. Jim and Sally manage the daily operation of this third generation enterprise.

The first Mason hardware was Henry Mason Hardware, started in 1947 by Jim and Bill’s grandparents, Henry and Dixie Mason. Henry had managed Floyd Thomas Hardware for a number of years before beginning his own business. In 1948, their son, John, a World War II veteran and recent East Texas State College graduate, joined the firm and it became known as Henry Mason & Son Hardware, located at 110 North Jefferson, on the east side of the courthouse square.

John married Margaret Bell of Commerce, Texas in 1949, and they raised two sons, James (Jim) born in 1950 and William (Bill) born in 1959. Together, Henry and John ran the business until Henry’s death in 1960, and John continued the operation until 1964. Having been elected Titus county tax assessor, John sold this first Mason hardware to Lloyd Clark in that year.

When Jim graduated from Texas Tech University in May, 1972, the family decided to buy Thomas Hardware from the retiring Floyd Thomas and continue the family hardware business tradition. Mason Hardware was now located at 124 West 2nd Street, on the north side of the Mt. Pleasant courthouse square.

In order to better serve the local community, Mason Hardware joined the True Value Hardware organization in 1975, just as a new regional discounter located their first Texas store in Mt. Pleasant. That discount retailer was Wal-Mart. The family business continued to grow while battling this strong competition. Mason True Value Hardware, as it was now known, used strong personal service and a broad product line to maintain a loyal customer base.

In 1979, Jim married Sally Pundt of Mt. Pleasant. The family continued to expand the business by relocating to a 10,000 square foot building at 1201 North Jefferson in May, 1989. This building was the formerly a Safeway grocery. This is the present location of Mason True Value Hardware.

John Mason passed away in 1997, but the Mason family has continued to serve the northeast Texas lakes area with a broad line of residential, farm and industrial hardware backed by three generations of personal service.