For almost a decade there circulates a myth that falsely suggested an African-American U.S. Deputy Marshal named Bass Reeves was the inspiration for the fictional character of The Lone Ranger. Triggered by recent folklore and influenced by racial bias, the myth spread across the internet like wildfire. While the real life of Bass Reeves deserves to be better-known, it is unfortunate that this fanciful "Lone Ranger" theory is what has brought him additional attention. A book published a decade ago caused unnecessary confusion by falsely suggesting Reeves was the inspiration of the fictional Lone Ranger. (i.e. Reeves rode a white horse as one flimsy connection.) This book documents the origin of The Lone Ranger through historical archives from across the country, with scanned reprints of the most important of documents, proving that three individuals, living in two different states, were responsible for the formation of The Lone Ranger, and proof that the Masked Man was intentionally patterned off of Robin Hood and Tom Mix, debunking the myth that one person deliberately created a children's program in the local Detroit area in 1933 on a historical figure that had never been referenced in books or magazines until the late 1950s. For people who insist Bass Reeves was the inspiration, and have no archival documents to back up their facts, this book provides a superb opportunity to understand why historians across the country have been debating for so long -- Bass Reeves was never the inspiration for The Lone Ranger.

In The Story of Oklahoma, Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves appears as the "most feared U.S. marshal in the Indian country." That Reeves was also an African American who had spent his early life enslaved in Arkansas and Texas made his accomplishments all the more remarkable. Black Gun, Silver Star sifts through fact and legend to discover the truth about one of the most outstanding peace officers in late nineteenth-century America--and perhaps the greatest lawman of the Wild West era. Bucking the odds ("I'm sorry, we didn't keep Black people's history," a clerk at one of Oklahoma's local historical societies answered one query), Art T. Burton traces Reeves from his days of slavery to his Civil War soldiering to his career as a deputy U.S. marshal out of Fort Smith, Arkansas, when he worked under "Hanging Judge" Isaac C. Parker. Fluent in Creek and other regional Native languages, physically powerful, skilled with firearms, and a master of disguise, Reeves was exceptionally adept at apprehending fugitives and outlaws and his exploits were legendary in Oklahoma and Arkansas. In this new edition Burton traces Reeves's presence in the national media of his day as well as his growing modern presence in popular media such as television, movies, comics, and video games.

Born into slavery, Bass Reeves became the most successful US Marshal of the Wild West. Many "heroic lawmen" of the Wild West, familiar to us through television and film, were actually violent scoundrels and outlaws themselves. But of all the sheriffs of the frontier, one man stands out as a true hero: Bass Reeves. He was the most successful Federal Marshal in the US in his day. True to the mythical code of the West, he never drew his gun first. He brought hundreds of fugitives to justice, was shot at countless times, and never hit. Bass Reeves was a black man, born into slavery. And though the laws of his country enslaved him and his mother, when he became a free man he served the law, with such courage and honor that he became a legend.

"The Lone Star Ranger" is a 1915 Western novel by American author Zane Grey. Set in Texas, the story revolves around the exploits of a band of Texas Rangers and Buck Duane, an outlaw on a quest for redemption. A classic example of Western fiction, "The Lone Star Ranger" would make for a worthy addition to any bookshelf and is not to be missed by lovers of the genre. Pearl Zane Grey (1872 - 1939) was an American writer most famous for his adventure novels of the Western genre. Other notable works by this author include: "Riders of the Purple Sage" (1912), "The Last Trail" (1906), and "The Lone Star Ranger" (1915). Grey continues to be widely read, and his novels and short stories have been adapted for the screen more than a hundred times. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction and biography of the author.

Sitting tall in the saddle, with a wide-brimmed black hat and twin Colt pistols on his belt, Bass Reeves seemed bigger than life. Outlaws feared him. Law-abiding citizens respected him. As a peace officer, he was cunning and fearless. When a lawbreaker he

Like its companion book, this second volume of Arkansas Backstories will amaze even the most serious students of the state with surprising insights. How many people are aware that a world-class yodeler from Zinc ran against John F. Kennedy in 1960 for the top spot on the national Democratic ticket, or that an African-American born in Little Rock campaigned for the Presidency nearly 70 years before Congressman Shirley Chisholm made her historic run? Or that bands of blood-thirsty pirates once lurked in the bayous and backwaters of eastern Arkansas, preying on unsuspecting Mississippi River travelers? Likewise, how many readers will recognize the fact that an English botanist who spent months investigating Arkansas's flora in the early nineteenth century has been described as the worst explorer in history? That Fort Smith hosted the world's first international UFO conference? Or that the Nielsen rating system has a direct connection to the state as does Tony Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"? Such tidbits are among the unexpected elements that make the Natural State so tantalizing. Written in an informal, conversational style and nicely illustrated, Arkansas Backstories Volume Two will be a wonderful addition to the libraries of Arkansans, expats, and anyone else interested in one of America's most fascinating states.

Black and Indian gunfighters in the Indian Territory