In Mason County many of towns and village’s names have relevance to the time the area was settled, which was in the mid-1800s. Many of our towns and villages are named after civil war heroes such as, Mason, Meade, Grant, Logan, Custer, and Victory. As we all know Free Soil is the most unique name of them all.  The name was established by a short-lived political party before the Civil War.

The Free Soil Party was founded on a single issue, to oppose the expansion of slavery into the Western territories. The party had originated in New York after the state Democratic convention refused to endorse a proposed law that would have banned slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War. A faction of Democrats known as the Barnburners objected to slavery in the territories and opposed the 1848 Democratic nominee Lewis Case.