Bass Reeves - Fort Worth Stockyards - Fort Worth, TX
N 32° 47.326 W 097° 20.831
14S E 654775 N 3629080
Lawman Bass Reeves is honored with a star on the Texas Trail of Fame in the Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, TX.
Waymark Code: WMPJYM
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/10/2015
Views: 1
Mr. Reeves's star is located on the south side of E Exchange Ave, in front of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Missing the last letter of his last name, the star says:
Texas Trail of Fame
Bass Reeve
Lawman
Fort Worth Stockyards
The Texas Trail of Fame website (see link) has a depiction of Mr. Reeves, as well as this biography:
Bass Reeves was the first black commissioned United States deputy marshal west of the Mississippi River He was born to slave parents in Arkansas in 1838. He escaped to Indian Territory after severely beating his young master in a dispute over cards and lived among the "Five Civilized Tribes," especially the Creeks, as a fugitive until 1863. Freed by the Emancipation Proclamation and no longer a fugitive, the six-foot-two, 190-pound former slave left the Indian country, bought land near Van Buren, Arkansas, and became a successful stockman and farmer. Reeves was recruited as a deputy in 1875 because he knew the tribal languages and country well, and as a black he was trusted by the Indians more than white men.
Reeves had a well-earned reputation for law enforcement south of the Red River. He killed fourteen men in the performance of his duty while assigned to the federal district courts at Paris and Sherman, Texas, during his thirty-two-year career as deputy. Dependability and devotion to duty were the benchmarks of Reeves's service to the government. Many of the district courts asked for Reeves because of his reliability in serving warrants. Having never learned to read and write, he had someone to read the subpoenas or warrants to him until he memorized which name belonged to each warrant. If the man Reeves arrested could not read, then the deputy had to locate someone who could to make sure that he had the right person. The deputy’s respect for the law was legendary. He was always acquitted of the deaths of his prisoners. However, it was his refusal to make exceptions that was extraordinary. He once arrested his own son on a murder warrant after a two-week manhunt. His son was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison, but was later given a full pardon.
After 1907 the role and the duties of the United States deputy marshal as a primary law enforcement officer were assumed by state agencies. At the age of sixty-nine Reeves accepted a job as patrolman with the Muskogee city police department, and from 1907 to 1909 there was reportedly never a crime committed on his beat. In 1909 his health failed, and he died on January 12, 1910, of Bright’s disease.
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About the Texas Trail of Fame: (
visit link)
The Texas Trail of Fame was established in 1997 to honor those who have made a significant contribution to our Western way of life. Throughout the walkways of the Fort Worth National Historic District, bronze inlaid markers have been placed in honor of their achievements. The desire of the Texas Trail of Fame is to inspire and educate visitors through the adventure of reflecting on these Westerner’s accomplishments. Trail Guides are available at the Stockyards Visitor's Information Center. So come on out to the Fort Worth Stockyards, grab a guide, and hit the trail!