Bob, it was such a pleasure having you in Muskogee for our Bass Reeves Western History Conference. Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm for our favorite hometown hero. It is a pleasure to lead the tour and see how interest in Deputy Reeves grows each year.

Bob - I was fortunate enough to be in that audience when you told this story and received a well deserved standing ovation (I was standing too). The volunteers at the Three Rivers Museum in Muskogee have been holding this annual Bass Reeves History Conference for a number of years now - I was even able to meet a couple of Bass Reeves' relatives a few years back. The work they do is very important and your comments mean a lot to them and to the history of the man. I hope future historians and filmmakers hear your perspective and heed your words. Thank you for documenting your speech - I enjoyed it as much the second time! Well done!

The story of Bass Reeves is one of my favorites and he should be remembered and honored as a great American hero. I really hope that Hollywood doesn't taint his story.

Bass Reeves was all about making his community better. Arresting his son was all about sacrifice and integrity. Not many who could meet his measure!

There will be no more Bass Reeves out there. Based o the information you provided, I am becoming more and more enticed getting into the True West ERA. Loved 🥰 your talks and you are one of the best story teller ever! Thank you for sharing. Retired from Pahrump Nevada

Now that is a person worthy of a good movie. Obviously a man of honor and integrity.

One of the legends of law. Hands down a one man mind changer in his day and a gentle but brave and determined soul..

I believe Mr. Bell is the best Old West storyteller I have ever listened to. I love his stories and his delivery. Mark Twain would have enjoyed these stories as well. Kudos and honors to Mr. Bell. May you keep giving us the truth of the time.

I always thought Bass Reeves just has to be a real man of integrity, thank you for this !

Hi Bob! I had originally heard the story about Bass Reeves watching the Gunslingers episode about him. I was so taken aback by him and his integrity. He since then has been a hero of mine. I was crying watching you through this video. Thank you so very very much for sharing this!

A gem of American history. Thanks for telling us.

I past Bass Reeves statue in Ft Smith this morning.

Sir, it was a pleasure to meet you and shake your hand at Fort Gibson State Historic Site. Keep up the great work Darren Vermillion Historical Interpreter Fort Gibson SHS

What I loved about Mr Reeves was the fact that him being a black man he was able to use people's perceived ignorance of him to his advantage such as serving warrants to people when they thought he as a black man was slow and couldn't read I found that very deceptive and clever and that cleverness helped him greatly.

Great story. I was born in Muskogee and grew up there. No one ever mentioned the name, Bass Reeves in all the years I lived there. And BTW, I was there in the Civic Center when Merle Haggard recorded, "Live From Muskogee, Oklahoma." Great job, Bob!

I wanted to go to Muskogee but it was too rich for my budget. Reeves is an amazing man. He arrested his own son. Is that tough enough for you? I'd give you 2 thumbs up if I could. Another unsung deputy was Eli Hickman "Heck" Bruner... Bruner's graveyard is in the Vinita Cemetery and he buried a number of his resisting targets there - also where the most prolific but unknown bank robber of 1900-35 era is buried - "Kaiser Bill" Goodman

The man was fearless.

Bob great story. I have felt for several years that Bass was probably the greatest marshall of the old west. He doesn't get the recognition he deserves. And on another note you being excited about being where Merl haggard was is how some of us feel about you.

Great story, Bob! I wish more people in our country could see the humanity in other people and stop focusing so much on differences. We are more alike than different and he was an exceptional man, especially for the time in which he lived.

Yeah, Bob, I was on that bus ride, too. We both already knew the story, of course, but still, hearing it "first person" like that was pretty emotional. Thanks to Jonita and the whole committee for a wonderful experience.

Wow ; what a story. I sure hope the upcoming sequel to 1883 , " Bass Reeves " captures this. Thank you so much.

I love Oklahoma, Indian Territory, I lived there during the Apocalypse, the most sane place in the country. The nicest people.

Outstanding Bob, some of your best, thank you.

Well said. My two favorite "old time" lawmen are Bass Reeves and Frank Hamer.

Hopefully, we'll get a good movie that is well produced and directed about Reeves. A true American Badassss! 🤘🏻

That was an awesome presentation. You have always been a very respected and honored person. I am a definite fan of yours and True West magazine

Excellent story ! Thanks

Great video Mr. Bell wish we didn't have to wait so long for new ones, good thing we have old west podcasts and such, hope to meet you again at tombstone this weekend thanks again for your care and YOUR humanity preserving the old west for us much RESPECT Sir.

What an awesome story! The truth is stranger, and to me, more interesting than fiction!. Thanks BBB!

I am so glad to have stumbled onto this channel. I was reading True West, Real West, Frontier Times, and all the others back in the 60s. True treasure and that genre followed as an overlap. I cowboyed in South Dakota on the old T bar A along Antelope Creek just outside of Mission SD. I met many oldsters who had worked the ranches at the turn of last century. I watched the west of myth die. The airplane and the four wheelers made those old broncs another pet. The BIA and the state started milking the summer leases on the breaks of the White River. Nobody drives the herds to summer pastures, taking three days to cover less than forty miles, what with newborns and birthing. I remember purposely stampeding the herd through St Francis, up on the flat above the river. Racing through backyards, ducking clotheslines, chased by a hundred dogs, the cattle wide eyed and running like the Devil was setting their tails on fire. The chasing and cussing and barking and bucking was a thrill a teenager never forgets. Yeah, I have a tie to yesteryear. To look at me now, with my uncertain gait, and shaking hands, you dont see that high hat, and and $50 lariat with a $100 saddle, all on a $40 horse. But every picture has a story. Edit to add: I now live 30 miles south of Fort Smith, in that part of the world that produced Belle Starr and Blue Duck. We have a new US Marshall's Museum in Ft. Smith where Bass Reeves is prominent, along with Judge Parker. (I once had to go to court in Greenwood, Arkansas for a failure to appear, the judge was Waylon Parker, Isaac Parker's nephew. ) It's more than worth a visit, after which you can visit our fine bordello.

Great talk Bass was a man's man. They should take Hoover down and replace with a statue of Bass Reeves

One of my favorite stories I've heard you tell.

That Mr. Bell was Excellent !

Love to listen to you Bob and see the enthusiasm on the old west outlaws and lawmen. I've been studying the deputy us marshals and outlaws of the Indian territory a long time and have been researching Bass and other Deputy Marshals. And yes,,,no research is complete without reading Mr Art Burton's books,,such as Black Gun and Silver Star and Black Red and Deadly. Very good reading. Love your TRUE WEST and love your enthusiasm!

.. should be a movie about this dude...

Bass Reeves is a big part of how law enforcement is today, and the special hunters like the Marshalls

It's hard to imagine how much hatred and prejudice Bass Reeves had to overcome during his career. Fearless doesn't quite say it. Perhaps the greatest Old West lawman.

Just wonderful, Thank you.

Wow.. I wish i could say more. I did not know the story. I couldn't imagine how hard that would be

Wow what a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing this awesome story of a real hero.

Thank you for the recap on Mr. Reeves. Bravo.

Thanks so much for sharing the video. What a testimony for Bass Reeves. Shame most people will never know what all he did and what he stood for. I always enjoy your videos.

Fascinating information! I never heard this side of Bass Reeves before. Thanks for sharing this story. I enjoy all your videos.

Excellent Bob.

Bass is an awesome historical figure !

When I read the title of this video I knew which arrest you would be talking about. I didn't realize that Bass Reeves would not live to see his son released from prison.

I'm proud to live in Strawn, TX where I live 2 blocks from the make believe Main Street of Checotah, OK where they just filmed part of the new 1883 spin-off about the life of Bass Reeves! I can hardly wait to see it 😊.

That story made me tear up

I appreciate your honesty. You seem more open minded than most. Bass was the Greatest lawman that ever lived.

How awesome!!

Awesome!

Now THATS a movie Id LOVE to see! Maybe Denzel Washington or Danny Glover playing Bass!

I have heard of Bass Reeves. It's someone interesting that The lone ranger story was based off of him as I've heard from sources. Some Frontier historians say that too because of what he did including of bringing in the Bandit Queen Belle Starr. Y'all got to admit that is pretty cool that the Bandit Queen was caught by him and brought in to face trial.

Thank you for sharing.

An excellent story...

They should make a movie about him. And let Robert Pattinson play him. He was awesome in the batman.

Speechless...😦

Would be so easy to make a movie his life, honestly don't see how it hasn't

Mr. Bass Reeves🎵🎵🎵HE WAS A BAAAAAAD MAN 🎵🎵🎵

Nice story and thanks for sharing.

Good one, brother, that was a fine story or recollection of your findings. Thanks.

Wow, I was moved as you were and many others. Wonderful bringing that human element to us, sir. Just recently found your site and now I check daily for new videos and watch the older pieces by you. Excellent site!

Great vlog Bob

Amazing!

Very nice by this. Thank you

...ever do anything about Elfego Baca??? Shows my age that I remember Robert Loggia in the 50s Dusney shows "The Nine Lives of Ekfego Baca"...

Thanks

Powerful

At 6'2 and two hundred pounds, Bass mustve been a hell of a hunter.

Very cool...

Back in the late sixties I lived in Van Buren Arkansas for a couple of years. There was a old man on Main Street that had a junk shop. One day he showed me a saddle bag that he claimed belonged to Belle Starr It was a very fancy tooled Saddlebag with her name on it. I have always wondered over the years whatever happened to it I could have bought it from him cheap but declined I hope it made its way into the Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum

From Claremore Ok loved the story

Hi Bob, props to you in digging out the facts and interesting details. My grandfather was a western author, Eugene Lafayette Cunningham. He wrote fiction mainly, working at providing realism along with the action the audience wanted. He also w2 non fiction books, Triggernometry and Gypsying Through Central America. I’m thinking he would love your show. I’m curious if you have read Triggernometry .

Why have thay not made a TV show about bass read it would be great to see

Bad ass

I’m looking forward to seeing Isaiah Washington’s movie Corsicana where he plays Bass Reeves

Wow

For the same reasons, why isn’t Heck Thomas or John Hughes more of a big deal? Heck Thomas had the record for bringing in the most criminals at one time: or the lone Star Ranger, John Hughes.

Hello Mr Bell, my name is Sam and I'm from Jackson county Indiana and I would love to hear your thoughts on the Reno Gang and the 1st train robbery

Bass Reeves,,, is the greatest lawman this country ever had........

It's long past time to have a movie made about him. Unfortunately knowing Hollywood they'll completely screw it up and make his story mostly fictional, with over-the-top violence and huge bright-orange explosions every 15 minutes.

Woohoo !! Muskogee Oklahoma its not much to look at. Robbers Cave isn’t that far from it. Belle Stars grave isn’t that far either. TSA La Gi Cherokee village is around the corner and down the road a bit.

👍👍👍😁

It is my theory that Bass Reeves was the inspiration for Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. First, I want to thank Masada Ayoob for bringing Bass Reeves to me. Between the book and the movies, there are an exceptional number of details shared by Reeves and Cogburn. Moreover, there are certain details in True Grit that make no sense unless you add the racial element. The hostility directed at a freed slave marshal might explain why the girl in True Grit grew to be such a bitter woman.

👍

My love for the old west came from my grandfather who came put of the old west and shared some stories from Elgin Kansas. He was,a bar tender,gambler,broke horses,was,not a gun fighter but extremely fast with a gun. He carried a 32.20 revolver. When l was young My Father took my Grandfather,Brother,my x Grandfather's best friend,and my Great Uncle to Elgin Kansas that was,called Bloody Elgin.. The livery was at that time still standing with the prices on the wall . I saw where Moffit Shot Brian, where a man pulled a gun on my Grandfather over a girl. The saloon that Grandpa worked in was now a vacant lot, across the street was the Elgin Hotel that was,also a vacant lot. But at least l saw where over a gambling dispute man by the name of Leighee shot Bob Register. When Sheriff Gid Coffee was called to the seen Bob Register Shot and killed Sheriff Gid Coffee. I wanted to return there this year . I understand the town is more of,a ghost town than what l saw. So,far have not gone back due to gas prices . I understand they have a cultural center there that has pictures. I would like to see if my Grandfather's picture is there, his saloon, or a picture of the Elgin Hotel. When the gun fight took place Grandfather was,working in the saloon across the street and went over to the hotel to see what was,going on. Grandfather was the eye witness to the shooting of Brian and,had to go to court. Remember when Grandfather told me the vigilant committee was the best thing that ever happened to the old west,and he and Grandmother got into an argument over the matter . Santford Craig. 4436 East Woodrow Place Tulsa Oklahoma 74115. AKA The Ark City Kid

I’m correct in assuming that you already knew of the arrest of the son by Marshall Reeves (I mean….you’re the True West Mag guy!) SLR (no relation….I’d likely fib and attempt it were it not for my slightly lighter skin tone ;-) )

It is for the reason you was thinking it was at first

Wait.....so.....the editor of true west magazine didnt know that bass reeves arrested his own son for murder??

Two dollars a capture

14 kills

I ment to say bass reeves

I will watch and enjoy this movie if it is not stupid, woke, and pc !!! :)

B³

Arresting 3000 criminals ???? Did he arrest a whole city ? He also murdered a cook didnt he ? How did he survive all that in a time they shot/ambushed/murdered you for being black ? He tracked the most dangerous, why did they never track him (as the Earps were shot out of Tombstone, Masterson was killed, etc...) ?

180 pounds

A little early to slobber over black history month, isn’t it ?

THE BAHAMAS says that BASS REEVES is like ABRAHAM who obeyed the (GOD's) Law to sacrifice (arrest) his son because he had faith in a higher authority. Jus sayin

total miscast! david eyelowo not tall enough not charismatic n where is rest of the mustache? i'm sitting it out until they find the right one for the part

That message at the end....priceless.