The Mason County "Hoo Doo" War, 1874-1902.

The Mason County "Hoo Doo" War, 1874-1902. By David Johnson. Foreword by Rick Miller. A. C. Greene Series. (Denton: University of North Texas Press, c. 2006. Pp. xiv, 332. $27.95, ISBN 1-57441-204-3.)

While some sections of Texas experienced population growth and urbanization during the late nineteenth century, others were plagued with frontier violence ranging from Indian raids to community feuds. In The Mason County "Hoo Doo" War, 1874-1902, David Johnson traces the origins of one of the bloodiest community disputes in Texas history. Using state and federal records, personal correspondence, and legal documents, Johnson concludes that the violence that effected Mason and nearby Llano County was rooted in ethnic and cultural intolerance, economic competition, personal animosities, and ineffective law enforcement. The so-call Hoo Doo War highlighted the danger of frontier vigilantism and the need for law-enforcement reform in the state.

Tensions in Mason escalated as Americans moved into the German-dominated community. Migration into the county coupled with a rise in livestock market prices led to increased cattle theft. German residents suspected the American-born stockmen of cattle rustling. Ranchers sought to protect their cattle from the American thieves. According to Johnson, Sheriff John Clark was the central figure in the feud. The author documents Clark's actions in leading a vigilante mob composed of Germans, commonly referred to as Hoo Doos, against the stockmen and escalating the violence by arranging the arrests and murders of several individuals.

Johnson cites the ambush and murder of Tim Williamson as the turning point in the quarrel. After Williamson's murder, William Scott Cooley, former Texas Ranger and close friend of the victim, and John Ringo, a known gunslinger, retaliated against Clark's posse. What was initially justified as a crusade to protect property became a war of vengeance and mutual retaliation. The unrest in Mason continued for years despite the involvement of the Texas Rangers, the disappearance of Clark, and Cooley's death.

The Mason County "Hoo Doo" War does more than provide an account of a bloody episode in Texas history; it exposes the turmoil of a state in the midst of change. While some communities embraced beautification movements and demanded improved services, others, such as Mason, struggled with the violent remnants of frontier living. Through the use of unpublished materials and newspaper archives Johnson reveals the fear some Mason residents felt as conditions worsened and the problems that state officials had in defusing the situation. Within the chronological narrative of the hostilities, Johnson incorporates brief biographical sketches of the feud's leading participants. The inclusion of the profiles helps readers understand the actions of individuals and supports Johnson's assertion that the war was the result of several issues. Johnson appropriately concludes the book with a discussion of the fate of several participants, giving readers the opportunity to comprehend the full impact that the Hoo Doo War had on the Mason County community.

ANA LUISA MARTINEZ

University of Texas of the Permian Basin