Mary Lucy Kyle Hartson

Mary Lucy Kyle Hartson (December 6, 1865 – March 20, 1956) was a teacher and postmistress who served two terms as the first woman Mayor of Kyle, Texas.

Early life Kyle was born on December 6, 1865, in Hays County, Texas the daughter of former Confederate captain and future Texas Legislator Fergus Kyle and his wife Anna Elizabeth née Moore. Mary was one of nine children, including Texas A&M administrator, Edwin Jackson Kyle.

Kyle attended Sam Houston Normal Institute in Huntsville, Texas, and began teaching in Taylor, Texas. Hartson was appointed postmistress of Kyle, a position she held until 1925. and resigned in 1941. She was known for hoeing weeds herself around City Hall. In 1943, she ran again and served an additional two years, for a total of six years as mayor. During the election of 1940 she stated, "Lyndon is the best man we've ever had in Congress, Cousin Albert notwithstanding." For part of the 1940s, the city council was majority female.

Death and legacy Kyle suffered a stroke in December 1945 and went to live with her daughter in Wichita Falls, Texas. She died at age 90 on March 20, 1956, in Wichita Falls, and is buried in the Kyle cemetery. and also named one of its more significant city parks, Mary Kyle Hartson Park, in her honor.