Texas History Minute

expanses of the Indian Territory

He came to live with the different Native American tribes, learning their languages and cultures and gaining their respect

Dr. Ken Bridges

Dr Bridges is a Texas native, writer, and history professor He can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail com

For generations, the Lone Ranger has charged the imaginations of millions around the world with tales of western adventure and the pursuit of justice But a number of historians now believe that the Lone Ranger was possibly based on a real person, an escaped Texas slave turned U S Marshal named Bass Reeves Regardless of any possible link to the Lone Ranger stories of the twentieth century, the story of Reeves is as remarkable as any western legend

Reeves was born in Crawford County, in Northwest Arkansas, around 1838 His family was owned by the prosperous and politically well-connected family of William Reeves, an early Arkansas legislator While Bass Reeves was still young, the family left Arkansas for Texas They settled in Grayson County, not far from Sherman, around 1846 George Reeves, the son of William Reeves, would grow up and serve as Grayson County Tax Collector by 1848 and county sheriff by 1850 and would play an important role in the future lawman’s life

Bass Reeves eventually became the property of the younger son and adopted the last named of Reeves, neither of which was unusual among slaves and slave-owning families at the time When the Civil War began, his owner took Reeves with him to serve as a valet The cavalry unit which George Reeves commanded often fought in areas of the Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma) as Confederate forces attempted to convince the Native American tribes of the area to side with the South

At one point, Reeves saw his chance to escape Several biographers suggest that an argument over a card game erupted into a huge fight between George and Bass Reeves in which Bass got the better of him and decided his days as a slave were over He escaped, disappearing into the deep

After the Civil War, Reeves became a farmer and father of ten, briefly returning to Arkansas as a free man and a landowner In 1875, Judge Isaac Parker, the notorious “hanging judge,” became the federal judge based in Fort Smith, Arkansas, overseeing the Indian Territory Parker named James F Fagan as U S Marshal and ordered him to start hiring deputies to bring law and order to the area Fagan had heard of Reeves and his gift for language and sought him out The appointment of Reeves as Deputy U S Marshal was an almostunheard of position for an AfricanAmerican at the time

Reeves energetically took on the responsibilities of the position He went to extraordinary lengths to capture fugitives, including using his expert tracking skills over long distances and wearing a variety of disguises His skills as a horseman allowed him to outride virtually anyone He routinely enlisted the help of Native Americans to help track outlaws He became known for his sense of honor and fair treatment of victims and the accused alike He was generous to the needy, sometimes giving them money

In his long career, he brought more than three thousand criminals to justice He found himself in shootouts with several suspects but was never wounded himself Judge Parker often praised Reeves and his skills In 1893, Reeves returned to Texas to serve as U S Marshal for the federal district court in Paris He never learned to read, but he was able to memorize warrants read to him and could almost always track down suspects with his dogged determination and respect for the law After 32 years as a federal law officer, he stepped down

Reeves served for two more years with the Muskogee Police Department in Oklahoma before retiring in 1909 at age 70 His health in decline, he passed away in January 1910 He was widely celebrated across the West before his death and in the years afterward Stories sprang up and expanded based on his legendary exploits, apparently inspiring the Lone Ranger stories, though other lawmen may have been responsible The Lone Ranger first appeared on radio in 1933 in Detroit, Michigan, just a generation after his death, followed by the popular TV series that ran from 1949 to 1957 as well as several movies and comic books Today, a statue in Fort Smith commemorates the amazing life of Reeves

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Mrs Wilson's second grade Letters to Santa

Monday, December 18, 2017 howeenterprise

Mrs Wilson's second grade Letters to Santa

Mrs Onstott's second grade Letters to Santa

Mrs Armstrong's first grade Letters to Santa

Mrs Armstrong's first grade Letters to Santa

Local Masons hosted Christmas party for clients of Texoma Community Center

The Billie Mosse Masonic Lodge in Denison hosted a Christmas luncheon on December 16 for about 32 clients of Texoma Community Center who have intellectual and developmental delays A band of local Masons provided music for the event and Santa was there to give out small gifts to the attendees The lodge has done this for more than ten years The TCC clients look forward to the event every year This is an opportunity for the TCC clients to be integrated into the community Students from Denison High School were recruited to help with the event

The Masonic lodge is a civic and social organization whose mission is to make good men better Masonic Lodges are one of the largest charitable organizations in the United States that gives back to their local communities It is estimated that nationally, Masons donate $2 million a day to charity from fundraisers and the Shriner Circus The Masons and the Shriners established the Scottish Rite Hospitals for Children and the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, and all patients are treated free of charge Locally, Masons also give scholarships to high school students and help care for widows of Masons

Mrs Johnston's first grade Letters to Santa

Mrs Johnston's first grade Letters to Santa

December

I have been employed with Howe ISD for two years. This year I get the great honor of working for Coach Simmons as his P.E. aide. I have four children that attend Howe ISD and have lived in Howe for 10 years I love being a part of this wonderful community and a part of the Howe Elementary staff

As 2017 comes to a close, we want to thank all of our readers and our advertisers for another successful year. We are not only capturing today's news in real time, we are taking a snapshot of history in our town. It is important to keep an archive of our city's happenings for future generations. None of this could be done without your help.

So again, thank you and Merry Christmas - Monte Walker & family