Yuma County, Colorado
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Yuma County Pioneer Photographs:
Cleave L. and Ethel (Gilmore) Mason, father John W. and Alice
(Miller) Mason,
Happyville
JOHN
In 1900 Lafayette County, Wisconsin, John Mason, farming born May 1846
in Pennsylvania, married 17 years to Alice Dec 1863 Wisconsin, has Earl A. June
1884 and Cleave L. March 1887, both Wisconsin.
In 1906 Lafayette County, John W. is 59, Alice 42, Cleve 18.
John and Alice are in Lafayette County in 1910, and Earl 23 is living with
them.
John proved up 320 acres in 5 and 8, 2S 46W, but in 1919.
In 1920 Lafayette County, Wisconsin, John and Alice are 73 and 56, living
with son Earl A. 33 and his wife and six kids, all born in Wisconsin.
CLEVE
In 1910 Mitchell, South Dakota, Cleve Mason is 23 - said born in Illinois, a
street laborer, in a boarding house with dozens other single men.
1912 "Cleve Mason and R.J. Gilmore transacted business in Yuma Tuesday and
Wednesday."
1912 "W.F. Gartrell, Cleve Mason, and J.B. Endsley were Vernon shoppers this
week."
1912 "Cleve Mason is having a well put down on his homestead this week.
The Saunderson boys are doing the work."
1912 "Mr. and Mrs. John Mason of Woodford, Wis., are here visiting their son,
Cleve Mason, and family of west of Vernon."
July 1912 "Mrs. F. W. Kushing, Clarence and Ethel Gilmore visited at the J.W.
Mason home Sunday Evening."
1912 "Clyde Fritz, Cleve Mason, J.B. Endsley and son Hallie, left for the
German neighborhood to harvest, this week."
1913 "Mrs. Frank Kuhring and Mrs. Cleve Mason, of southeast of Yuma, returned
yesterday from Wray, where they had been visiting relatives."
1913 "D. Farager, who has been visiting at the Cleve Mason home near
Happyville, left Monday for his home in Wisconsin."
In 1915, Cleve was a witness for the claim of Jonah W. Sanderson for land in
2S 46W.
Cleve bought stock in 1918 in the Midfields Oil Company.
Cleave proved up 320 acres in 5 and 8, 2S 46W in 1917, and cash-claimed
eighty acres in 33, 1S 46W in 1919.
In 1919 Cleve Mason and Clarence Gilmore had sold land to Earl Austin Wyatt, and
Wyatt defaulted on the notes, so the land was to be sold at auction.
He registered with a Happyville address, born March 19, 1887 in Woodford,
Wisconsin, farming and merchandising, an assistant post master.
In 1920 Happyville precinct, Cleave, 39, born in Wisconsin, with Ethel V. 28,
Nebraska, have Clifton L. 6, born in Colorado.
"The small town of Happyville in Yuma
County had a post office from July
26, 1910, to Feb. 28, 1922. After store owner Cleve Mason had
a disagreement with other Happyville
businessmen, Mason moved some
buildings about 2 miles west to a
new town he named Heartstrong. Local
legend has it that Mason wanted to
name the post office Headstrong, but
postal officials suggested calling
the town Heartstrong instead. The
new town had a post office from May
31, 1921, to Jan. 31, 1940. "
- Happyville
- Rural post office established in 1910 southwest of Eckley on land
owned by the first postmaster Richard Gilmore. Cleve Mason built a store
and there was also a barber shop. Mr. Mason sold his store to a co-op
but stayed on as postmaster. In 1920 Mason had a falling out with the
co-op. He opened a new and bigger store on his homestead two miles west
and for a time Mr. Mason operated the Happyville post office out of the
new store without getting the blessing of the location change from the
postmaster general. In May 1921 a new Happyville postmaster was
appointed to replace him. The Happyville co-op store building burned
late in 1921 and the post office was officially closed in February 1922.
- Heartstrong, Hartstrong, Happyville Townsite
- Established in 1920 by Cleve Mason on his homestead two miles west
of Happyville. Mr. Mason built a store and platted a townsite he named "Happyville."
When he ran into troubles with the postmaster general about moving the
Happyville post office without permission he applied for a new post
office with Maybelle Tucker as postmaster. The Heartstrong post office
"officially" opened in May 1921 and operated until 1940. The 1922
Standard Atlas of Yuma County shows the Heartstrong post office
located at the Happyville townsite two miles west of the Happyville post
office. The community was locally known as Happyville well into the
1940s when for some reason Heartstrong became the favored name.
In 1923 Cleve and Edith are living at 1150 S. Cherokee in Denver - he's a
farmer.
April 1927 
Helen is buried in Yuma, # 49997213, with Richard 1857-1950 # 49997215. He had married Luella G. (Higgins) Gilmore 1873-1952.
In 1930 Cleve is running the billiard parlor in Eckley, 48, born in Nebraska,
with Ethel, 38 and Clifton 16.
Clifton married Dorothy Lewine Nov 5, 1936, recorded in Yuma County.
She is the Lelia D. Lewien, ten months old in 1920 Yuma, with parents
Albert J. 48 and Josephine 45. Siblings are Florence M. 15, Clark B. 11,
Ruth M. 8, Ira C. 7, and May B. 4.
November 12 1936 "Miss Dorothy Lewein, daughter of Mrs. Josephine Lewein of Yuma, and Clifton L. Mason wee married last Thursday afternoon in Wray by Justice J.F. Garton. They were attended by Mr. and Mrs. Ira Morris.
After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Mason returned to Yuma where they weill make their home. The groom is associated with his father, Cleve Mason, in the restaurant business here.
Both young people are well known and popular with the younger set of Yuma. Friday night their friends teendered them a charivari party and extended congratulations."
In 1938 Cleve sold his Yuma pool hall, and in 1939 opened one in the Pickett block in Wray.
In 1940, All of them are on East Third Street in Wray, running a pool hall.
Cleve and Ethel were in Eckley in 1935. Clifton was in Yuma in 1935, now
married to Dorothy L. 21, with Donna L. and Dean L., both 1. Dorothy had
been in Denver in 1935.
March 9, 1944 
1946 "Cleve Mason, who is operating a business in Leadville, was transacting business and greeting old friends in Eckley and Wray last Tuesday."
1946 "R.J. Gilmore celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday at the home of his
niece and nephew, Mr. and Mrs. Merle Collins. The birthday cake was baked by two
of his great-granddaughters, Doris and Hazel Collins. Memebers of his family to
help him celebrate the memorable occasion were his son Clarence of Loveland,
daughter Mrs. Nora Roberts of Denver, son-in-law Cleve Mason of Denver,
Mr. and Mrs. Beavers of Denver, Mr. and Mrs Frank Herman and sons and Mr. and Mrs. Collins and family.'
February 26, 1948 
In 1948 and in 1960 Cleve and Ethel are in Denver, living at 1341 S. Lincoln.
In 1960 Clifton L. (Jessie) is at 1522 S. Lincoln.
1962 
October 1962 "Mr. and Mrs. Merle Gardner and family spent Saturday night at Longmont with his parents then went to Denver for a surprise reception for Mr. and Mrs. Cleve Mason in honor of the 50 wedding anniversary."
SSDI has Cleve dying February 1969, last residence Denver.
February 20, 1969 at the Yuma County Historical Society meeting, Mrs. Pearl Jones reported the death of Cleve Mason, a builder of Happyville and Heartstrong.
1962 visiting in Eckley "Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Mason, their daughter Donna Donna and her son Deonnie..."
Clifton Mason July 3, 1913 - May 1, 1972
December 14, 1995 
February 1, 1996 
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