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Bass Reeves is Probably the Best Old West Lawman You’ve Never Heard of
And there is an obvious reason for it.
The original 1883 saga showed the backstory of the Dutton family. Though details are fuzzy, it seems that 1883 Season 2 will present a completely different storyline from the same time period. It will reportedly traverse the career of one of the most effective and underpublicized law officers in the history of the Oklahoma Territory. Perhaps the three most well-known law officers in the territory were collectively known as the Three Guardsmen, Bill Tilghman, Chris Madsen and Hec Thomas.
Tilghman in particular has gotten more notice in recent years with Sam Elliott portraying him in the TNT movie, “I Know Your Name.” Bass Reeves may have been even more effective than the Oklahoma Big Three.
Bass Reeves was a ground breaker
Reeves was a historical figure in that he was the first black deputy to serve west of the Mississippi River. There is also speculation that he was the inspiration for the Lone Ranger. Reeves was an excellent marksman, rode a white horse, and was a sharp dresser. In addition, Bass had a Sam Elliott class mustache. It should be noted that whether the Lone Ranger was a sharp dresser is debatable.
