It did not seem accidental. In 1907, Reeves joined up with the Muskogee law enforcement office in Oklahoma, where he worked for two years. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Bass raised horses and served as a scout for deputy U.S. marshals going into the Indian Territory. It was probably a pleasant changebut it was not to last. Native Territory comprised most of what became Eastern Oklahoma on November 16, 1907, when Oklahoma became a state. Neither man backed down. Reeves is featured in the opening scene of HBO's award-winning series, Watchmen. He tried to apprehend the fugitive Jim Webb, who had been foreman on the Billy Washington Ranch in the Chickasaw Nation. Reeves became known in the early 1880s for bringing prisoners back to the Fort Smith court in double digits. Bennie was jealous, angry, and violent. [10], Reeves' health began to fail further after retiring. He was 62 tall and extraordinarily strong. Specifically fort smith where judge parkers court house is located. George Reeves was also a legislator, in Texas, and at the time of his death in 1882 from rabies, George Reeves was the Speaker of the House in the Texas legislature. Reeves was born in Crawford County, in Northwest Arkansas, around 1838. His expertise in local languages and culture made him perfectly suited to the job. Many historians believe that Reeves would later go on to be partial inspiration for the Lone Ranger. So, this semi-biographical series about a real guy is going to be part of the Yellowstone series? The man overseeing the case was Judge Isaac Parker, who was technically Reeves boss. Kennedy pointed to racist sentiment on the part of incoming state officials, as well as the Congressional delegation and the incoming U.S. marshal when Oklahoma became a state in 1907 as reasons Reeves lost his job with the Marshals Service. Starring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, 1883 depicted the first Dutton family members to travel the Oregon Trail and settle in Montana, where the Yellowstone Ranch is set in the series. Reeves earned his reputation. They would later have 11 children in the household. From a glance, Bass Reeves was the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. Oklahoma became a state in 1907. Reeves. . People in period dress were at the Bass Reeves Memorial on Saturday at Three Rivers Museum. Reeves's former position as a U.S. As it turns out, the time to draw seemed to come up a lot. One account recalls how Bass Reeves and George Reeves had an altercation over a card game. [2], When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee, Oklahoma police department. [2] Once he had to arrest his own son for murder. To top it off, a bridge was named in his honor, a statue was erected in Oklahoma, and the lawman was inducted into the cowboy hall of fame in Texas. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 18:56, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, "Bass Reeves, the Most Feared U.S. Deputy Marshal", "Judge Paul L. Brady Retires from Job Safety Commission", "Reaves putting Kane feud aside, joining him for 'much bigger cause', "Rangers winger Ryan Reaves discovers the history behind the family name", "Was the Original 'Lone Ranger' a Black Man? The lawman was such a good shot that nobody wanted to face him in competition. Just saw the movie. Judge Isaac Parker was an unbelievably harsh man. In 1848, George was elected tax collector, and in 1850, he was elected sheriff of Grayson County. Unsurprisingly, Reeves took the task without complaint. Who knows! Law and order in the Wild West was not a pretty thing. Story was the leader of a feared gang of horse thieves who operated under the highly original name of The Tom Story Gang. Nellie was the mother of all 10 of his children. Joined by an ex Union Sharpshooter, they are in a race against time as they track Jack Donner and his vicious gang of killers to the oil-rich Texas town of Corsicana. He often used aliases and disguises, a cowboy, farmer, gunslinger -- even a outlaw. At this time Bass was married to his wife, Jennie, who was also from Texas, and they had four children. Thanks for your time! His children were named Newland, Benjamin, George, Lula, Robert, Sally, Edgar, Bass Jr., Harriet, Homer and Alice. The Lone Ranger has appeared in thousands of radio episodes, hundreds of television episodes, hundreds of comic books, six films, and dozens of novels. Apparently, each one tried to end Reeves life before he resorted to force. Over his long career as a lawman, the mustachioed slinger racked up a body count of 14 men. http://politicalblindspot.com/the-real-lone-ranger-was-an-african-a https://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/6408028-Police-His Geni requires JavaScript! "Bass Reeves Some have suggested a possible historical inspiration was Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. From the shackles of slavery to the US Marshals Service, Reeves lived a life of conflict, excitement, and heartbreak. Wasnt Bass Reeves a real guy? [5][6][7][8], He was a great-uncle of Paul L. Brady, who became the first black man appointed as a federal administrative law judge in 1972. As a black man living in the south in the 19th century, records about Reeves are spotty at bestbut the stories paint a picture of a formidable man. Sometime after moving to Texas, Bass became a valet/body servant to William S. Reeves son, George R. Reeves. The men with a $5,000 bounty on their heads woke up in handcuffs. Bass got so upset at being cheated, he beat his master down and knocked him out. Despite taking down over 3,000 outlaws and getting into dozens of dust-ups, the rough and tumble lawman never fell victim to any serious injuries. Reeves made a name for himself early in his career when he struck out after the famous outlaw Bob Dozier. Marshal was abolished at that time, so he became an officer with the Muskogee Police Department, where he served for two years until he was forced to resign because of his declining health. He once said he knew the Indian Territory like a cook knows her kitchen. Unfortunately for Reeves, this brought change to the face of law enforcement. So harsh, in fact, that he was given the nickname The Hanging Judge. The reason for this nickname isnt difficult to riddle out. There was a movie made in his honor. Of all the outlaws Reeves went after in his long career, only one ever escaped his iron grasp. He liked to brag that there was never any crime reported on his beat. Despite never drawing first, Reeves ended up in a lot of shootouts. In 1855, George was elected to the Texas House of Representatives from Grayson County. [1] It appears plausible that Reeves was kept in bondage by William Steele Reeves's son, Colonel George R. Reeves -- a Texan sheriff, legislator, and one-time Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives until his death from rabies in 1882. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Typically, local posses accompanied Reeves on his expeditions and stakeouts. In the Old West, its hard to separate the good guys from the bad. [5], Reeves was married twice and had eleven children. Reeves was now 69 years old, the only deputy U.S. marshal I have found that started with Judge Parkers regime in 1875 and worked up to Oklahoma statehood in 1907. Apparently, Christie didnt make things easy, and he escaped. Bass Reeves is a part of US Black history. Bass Reeves (2010 Video), Ponderous Productions, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Comedic Facts About Red Skelton, The Kookiest Clown Around, Glamorous Facts About The Countess Of Castiglione, The First Model, Sensational Facts About Louella Parsons, The Queen Of Hollywood Gossip, Extravagant Facts About Mohammad Reza, The Doomed Shah. In the card game Cartaventura Oklahoma, one plays the fictional escape of Bass Reeves with five possible outcomes. He would then memorize their details before striking out to pursue his target. Most people know that. Interest was, With a budget of $250 million, this summers Disney movie, The Lone Ranger, will be. Earlier, Upham had commanded the Arkansas State Militia and had destroyed the Ku Klux Klan in that state. . Reeves did one thing, and he did it very well: He tracked down outlaws on the lam. These are just a few of the incredible stories of a man who hunted down men nobody else could capture. Arkansas native Bass Reeves was one of the first black lawmen west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was over six feet tall and sported a thick black handlebar mustache. Eighty-two of the U.S. deputy marshals are buried at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith. He only had one man with him, but Bass Reeves didnt need much help. As usual, Reeves struck out with a posse. During the Civil War . He was apparently well dressed, with spit-polished boots and a striking, wide-brimmed hat on his head. Thanks for your help! In the late 1870s, although Reeves was a deputy U.S. marshal, much of his work was as a posseman for other deputy U.S. marshals, including Robert J. Topping, James H. Mershon and Jacob T. Ayers. Marshals. Reeves son, Benjamin Reeves, strayed from the family tree and ran into serious trouble with the law. Classic Gunfights: A Deadly Duel at 500 Yards. After his release, he apparently turned his life around and lived out the rest of his life without offense. In fact, the Oklahoma City Weekly Times Journal once reported that Reeves was never known to show the slightest excitement, under any circumstance. Bass Reeves was born a slave, but died a respected lawman, having served in the Indian Territory (and later Oklahoma), Arkansas and Texas, the National Park Service states. Reeves' health began to fail, and he died of Bright's disease (nephritis) in 1910. He became the first black man to work as a deputy west of the Mississippi River. Marshal badge and bullets that one belonged to U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves. Two weeks later he returned to Muskogee with his son and turned him over to Marshal Bennett. Over an 18 year stint, Greenleaf reputedly had seven bodies on his handsand he showed no sign of backing down. Reeves was acquitted.[7]. However, the ranger never drew his weapon first. Bass started as a water boy until he was old enough to become a field hand like his parents. One of the most infamous men in Indian Territory went by the name Greenleaf. On one occasion, Reeves went deep undercover. Marshals. Almost a year out from a planned opening of the new $60 million museum, it's the lawman's family tree the curator wants most. And he got his man as often as any of the deputies. He served in the Indian Territory for 32 years. Here, he learned Indian languages, the lay of the land and complete mastery of pistols and rifles. For a slave to hit his master in Texas was punishable by death. In 1897 he was transferred to the Muskogee Federal Court. [12] Ryan Reaves's grandfather changed the family name from Reeves to Reaves. The only significant remains of the second fort [built in 1839] are the old stone Commissary Building and Judge Parker's Courtroom, which has been restored. As Sheridan recently told Deadline, they wanted to hold a meeting to discuss how certain characters may have survived their deaths, so Sheridan worked up another peek into the window instead. Marshals Museums board of directors, said Burton told Reeves story at a Fort Smith National Historic Site Descendants Day event in the early 2000s and helped Reeves receive the notoriety for his bravery and incredible career as a lawman. Obituaries ran in the white and Black newspapers of Muskogee and were republished across the nation. The legendary lawman was said to. Being ambidextrous he always wore two Colt pistols and he rarely missed his mark. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 18:56. Yellowstone, set in the present day, follows the Dutton family as they try to protect the largest ranch in the United States from hedge funds and governmental bodies looking to take their generational land away from them. Picture this on horseback, with a leather saddle and stiff boots. 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