Little Rock, Arkansas – A brand-new television series based on a well-known Arkansan has just been released by Paramount.
Bass Reeves was a famed lawman in the Arkansas Wild West, and the new show is based on his true story.
Reeves was among the first Black U.S. Marshals and is said to have served as the Lone Ranger’s model.
Reeves, who was born into slavery in Arkansas, managed to flee and spent years living in what is now Oklahoma with a Native American tribe.
In 1875, Reeves went back to Arkansas and was chosen as a deputy U.S. Marshal among 200 men.
Reeves became one of the most successful Deputy Marshals right away by demonstrating his talent and skill. According to the report, he made up to 3,000 arrests in his tenure.
According to various historical accounts, Reeves killed between 11 and 14 outlaws during his career.
But as time went on, the tale of Bass Reeves appeared to fade.
“The unfortunate thing is that, after 1910, after Bass passes away, and you start to see the rest of Western history start to get written,” said David Kennedy, curator at the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. “Bass disappears for about half a century from American memory, outside of some small pockets of historians and small pockets of the Black community in Muskogee or within Fort Smith.”
The show debuted on November 5 and can be found on Paramount+.