Unmasking the Lone Ranger: Bass Reeves Most Feared US Marshall: Black History Month
02/06/20 • 10 min
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For the start of black history month, we are going to head all the way back to the old west to meet a man who has been long thought to be the inspiration behind The Lone Ranger. Take a listen through and if you are familiar with the TV show or watched the latest movie let me know below what you think. Without any dispute Bass Reeves was one of the most feared lawmen of the west.
Born 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas as a slave. The slave owner was Confederate Colonel George Reeves and during the war. There are conflicting accounts as to what happened but on record, he said to have left to ensure his safety and his freedom.
Bass Reeves escaped into Oklahoma territory where he found help and friendship amongst the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole First Nations Tribes. During his time with The First Nations Tribes, he learned the skills that would make him one of the best lawmen of the west. He learned to track, shoot, ride, and fluently speak five First Nations Languages. By the way, if I am using First Nations and Native incorrectly please email me. I did an extensive search but I am open to corrections.
It is said that he left his master but that he went to the Union to fight. Other accounts have him moving to Arkansas to farm and marry Nellie Jennie (and have 11 children). Some accounts say both.
Bass Reeves started as US Marshal in Oklahoma and the Arkansas Territories in 1875. Bass Reeves was never taught reading. He was said to have memorized how the suspect’s name looked on the paper ad was able to match it with the warrant. He was never said to have arrested the wrong person.
He was known for his relentless pursuits of criminals and while shot at many times was said to have never been hit by a bullet. He did come close having both his hat and belt shot off. His jurisdiction territory spanned seventy-five thousand square miles. It was said that when a deputy marshal rode out for a round trip of 800 miles a wagon and a cook who also served as a guard went along. This territory was supposed to be handled by 200 deputies unfortunately according to records only twenty to thirty worked at a time.
In total Bass Reeves accounted for over 3,000 felons using disguises (a fellow criminal hunted and shot at by law enforcement, a woman, or a preacher). Taking them in as they say dead or alive. Though according to the numbers he made sure to state of just over 3,000 he only had to kill 14 and only in self-defense.
After he retired at 67 he spent two years as a city policeman in Muskogee, Oklahoma. During those two years, there were no reported crimes in his new territory.
Historians have an incredible benefit to Bass Reeves working life in that he would often be followed by newspaper reporters who would give eye witness accounts.
If you ever in the neighborhood go pay respects the bridge that crosses the Arkansas River named the Bass Reeves Memorial Bridge.
One of my favorite depictions of Bass Reeves was on a short-lived but amazing sci fi show Timeless.
A thank you to Owlcation and the writer Readmikenow for a huge leg up on the structure of this episode
References:
The Muskogee Pheonix
The Oklahoma City Weekly Times-Journal
Key words Oklahoma History, Midwest History, Arkansas History
The Washinton Post
The Muskogee Pheonix
The Oklahoma City Weekly Times-Journal
National Parks Service
Key words Oklahoma History, Midwest History, Arkansas History
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For the start of black history month, we are going to head all the way back to the old west to meet a man who has been long thought to be the inspiration behind The Lone Ranger. Take a listen through and if you are familiar with the TV show or watched the latest movie let me know below what you think. Without any dispute Bass Reeves was one of the most feared lawmen of the west.
Born 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas as a slave. The slave owner was Confederate Colonel George Reeves and during the war. There are conflicting accounts as to what happened but on record, he said to have left to ensure his safety and his freedom.
Bass Reeves escaped into Oklahoma territory where he found help and friendship amongst the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole First Nations Tribes. During his time with The First Nations Tribes, he learned the skills that would make him one of the best lawmen of the west. He learned to track, shoot, ride, and fluently speak five First Nations Languages. By the way, if I am using First Nations and Native incorrectly please email me. I did an extensive search but I am open to corrections.
It is said that he left his master but that he went to the Union to fight. Other accounts have him moving to Arkansas to farm and marry Nellie Jennie (and have 11 children). Some accounts say both.
Bass Reeves started as US Marshal in Oklahoma and the Arkansas Territories in 1875. Bass Reeves was never taught reading. He was said to have memorized how the suspect’s name looked on the paper ad was able to match it with the warrant. He was never said to have arrested the wrong person.
He was known for his relentless pursuits of criminals and while shot at many times was said to have never been hit by a bullet. He did come close having both his hat and belt shot off. His jurisdiction territory spanned seventy-five thousand square miles. It was said that when a deputy marshal rode out for a round trip of 800 miles a wagon and a cook who also served as a guard went along. This territory was supposed to be handled by 200 deputies unfortunately according to records only twenty to thirty worked at a time.
In total Bass Reeves accounted for over 3,000 felons using disguises (a fellow criminal hunted and shot at by law enforcement, a woman, or a preacher). Taking them in as they say dead or alive. Though according to the numbers he made sure to state of just over 3,000 he only had to kill 14 and only in self-defense.
After he retired at 67 he spent two years as a city policeman in Muskogee, Oklahoma. During those two years, there were no reported crimes in his new territory.
Historians have an incredible benefit to Bass Reeves working life in that he would often be followed by newspaper reporters who would give eye witness accounts.
If you ever in the neighborhood go pay respects the bridge that crosses the Arkansas River named the Bass Reeves Memorial Bridge.
One of my favorite depictions of Bass Reeves was on a short-lived but amazing sci fi show Timeless.
A thank you to Owlcation and the writer Readmikenow for a huge leg up on the structure of this episode
References:
The Muskogee Pheonix
The Oklahoma City Weekly Times-Journal
Key words Oklahoma History, Midwest History, Arkansas History
The Washinton Post
The Muskogee Pheonix
The Oklahoma City Weekly Times-Journal
National Parks Service
Key words Oklahoma History, Midwest History, Arkansas History
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Pandora The World's First AI A History Podcast for Kids and Curious Adults
Pandora:
The myth of Pandora can be read as a warning against artificial intelligence or AI. As the first AI being created (by Hephaestus) she did define the chaos of what AI can bring.
In Hesiod’s Theogony Pandora is made as a response to Prometheus giving the human’s fire. Zeus seemed to think that was just a step too far in the human power direction and not enough in the all-mighty Zeus and God power line up.
So Zeus goes to his brilliant design and crafting god, Hephaestus, and asks him to create a woman. Depending on what you read she is made of earth or breathed into existence using fire.
The other Gods and Goddesses circle round giving her intelligence, beauty, and of course curiosity. Her name means “all gifted or all giving”. She is also given a box and told NOT TO OPEN IT.
The box contained the entirety of ills that can befall a civilization. Even if you have never heard the myth I bet you can guess what happens. After all of the horrible exits the box (or jar again depending on the reading) there is a tinkering sound. Pandora, I am guessing has a what else could go wrong attitude opens the box again. The tinkering sound is a ball of light which is hope.
So much to unpack here but I think this myth is an important one. Artificial intelligence offers us incredible convenience, progress, and for many in the disabled community's quality of life and communication. But do you think can go wrong? As we invent do we also have a responsibility to see what pitfalls our progress might hold? If we know a cliff is coming perhaps we can create some safety protocols. From our last chapter, you were supposed to think up a robot to do a task. You were going to think of what the task would be and what you would need to program the robot to do and how its’ design would help it in its’ task. Now I would like you to think about what would you do with your robot to make sure it does what you want it to do but does not do what it is not programmed to?
Be sure to send this to us under our contact us at www.owlandtwine.com
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Next Episode
Elizabeth Jennings The Woman Who Started Desegregation of New York Transportation System
Today I want to talk about Elizabeth Jennings her story is about the importance of challenging systems
A special thank you to Mo Rocca and his show Mobituaries for bringing Elizabeth Jennings to my attention and patching up a massive hole in my US. history education.
Elizabeth Jennings-Grahm Born free in 1827 to a freeborn father and a mother who was born into slavery. Her father Thomas L. Jennings was the first black patent holder in 1821 for developing a new clothes Cleaning method. He was able to purchase his wife's freedom though under the abolition law of 1799 She remained an indentured servant until 1827. Elizabeth grew up with well politically-active parents. Elizabeth grew up to become a school teacher at New York African Free School-and was the organist at her church.
During the 1850's the 'bus' was a horse-drawn wagon. These were not run by the city but by private companies that felt that they could refuse passengers or assign seating based on race. The rule was segregated carts or if no person objected then they could ride.
On July 16, 1854 Jennings was running late for service at church. Elizabeth and her friend Sarah Adams got on the trolley and was ordered off. She refused bravely holding window sashes and then the conductors' coat as she was thrown off. She jumped back on the train only to be forcibly removed by a police officer.
Her father took donations at church to sue the transportation company Third Avenue Railroad Company. Fredrick Douglas wrote about her case in his paper. The future president of the United States was her lawyer, Chester A Arthur. This is almost exactly one hundred years before Rosa Parks. with a jury of all white men, they ruled in favor of Elizabeth awarding her $250 about $8,000 today. She had asked for $500. Judge William Rockwell added 10 percent plus legal costs. This made the railway companies desegregate and began a ten-year process to full desegregation in 1865 of the New York public transportation system.
Elizabeth continued teaching for thirty-five years. She did go on to start and operate one of the first kindergartens for black children out of her home in her later years. She died on June 5 1901.
For a woman who used her bravery and her use of disobedience to challenge a corrupt system why have so many not heard her name? Thanks to a group of third and fourth graders from P. S. 361 lobbied in 2007 to name the street corner "Elizabeth Jennings Place" In 2019 Chirlane McCray announced a statue at Grand Central. please see our show notes for details or how you might help.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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