George C. Reeves

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about George C. Reeves, out of Wood County. Now settle in, because this man packed a whole lot of living into one corner of East Texas.

Born in Georgia on August 31, 1854, George C. Reeves made his way to Mineola soon after the town was founded in 1873. And when a man arrives early to a brand-new town, well, he tends to leave a mark.

Reeves served as city marshal, which in those days meant you were the kind of fellow people either respected or avoided, sometimes both at once. Then came an association that would open a different kind of door entirely. Through his connection with County Attorney Jim Hogg, a man who would go on to become Governor, Reeves became a transfer agent for the state penitentiary system.

That is not a small job, and it tells you something about the trust people placed in him. But George Reeves was not a man content with just one line of work. He threw himself into cattle, lumber, and real estate, the three pillars of Texas ambition if ever there were any.

And here is where the story picks up a kind of pride that is hard to manufacture. Reeves actively promoted Wood County and its agricultural products, hauling exhibits all the way to the State Fair of Texas. He believed in what this land could grow and produce, and he wanted the whole state to know it.

That dedication earned him the presidency of the Agricultural Exhibitors Association. Through all of it, George Reeves had Sallie, born a Wigley, at his side. Together they raised two children and built a life in the adopted county he championed so loudly.

He passed on August 29, 1934, just two days shy of his birthday. The town he helped shape had grown up around him, and he had helped grow it right back.

What the marker says

(Aug. 31, 1854 - Aug. 29, 1934) Georgia native George C. Reeves came to Mineola soon after its founding in 1873. He served as city marshal, and through his association with County Attorney (later Governor) Jim Hogg, he became a transfer agent for the state penitentiary system. Active in business ventures associated with cattle, lumber and real estate, reeves actively promoted his adopted home county and its agricultural products with exhibits at the State Fair of Texas. He also served as President of the Agricultural Exhibitors Association. Reeves and his wife, Sallie (Wigley), were the parents of two children. Recorded - 2002