Wise County Reunion

Duane's take

Well, friends, what I'm about to tell you comes straight off an official Texas Historical Commission marker. This is my telling of it, in my own way. Now, Wise County has seen a lot of gatherings in its time, but none quite like the one they simply call the Wise County Reunion.

And to understand what it became, you've got to go back to where it started: and where it started was Cold Springs, on a July day in 1881. The old settlers of Wise County had an idea. They wanted to bring together two groups who'd seen a particular kind of hard living: Confederate veterans and the county's pioneers.

So they sent out the word, and people came. They came and they kept comin'. About five thousand people showed up for that 1881 reunion, which is no small thing for any county, in any era.

The day they chose wasn't random, either. July 12th was the anniversary of Captain George Stevens' victory over hostile Indians in 1874, and that date gave the whole affair a certain weight. The Wise County Messenger covered it, and the paper called it a successful day, with one caveat that I find quietly delightful: quote, "only the music being a failure." Just the music.

Everything else, apparently, went off just fine. There were speeches. There was picnicking.

Five thousand people, and only the band let them down. Now, a gathering that good doesn't just stop at one. The reunion found a permanent home at its present site in 1896, and by 1900 it had grown into a three-day affair.

Each day had its own honorees: the first for old settlers, the second for the veterans, and the third for the daughters and sons of Confederates. Sometimes twelve thousand people would attend, parading from the courthouse all the way out to the camp ground. The programs stretched out to include candidates' speeches, rodeos, and sham battles.

And the evenings; the evenings were devoted to visiting. In 1909, the grounds were leased for twenty-five years. Later on, participants leased and improved their own campsites, putting down roots in a place where roots were already deep.

The Wise County Old Settlers Association, formed in 1904, took things a step further. They sponsored a Pioneer History, written by C. D.

Cates, published in 1907. They weren't just gathering to remember; they were writing it down. And that reunion kept growing, kept stretching.

It extended to a full week, with visiting filling the days and stated events anchoring the evenings. What started as one afternoon at Cold Springs, five thousand people, one failed band, and a whole lot of history, became the oldest recurring public event in Wise County. Some things, once they take hold in Texas soil, just don't let go.

What the marker says

The Confederate veterans of Wise County are said to have held occasional reunions in the 1860s-1870s. Old settlers invited both the Confederate veterans and Wise County pioneers to an 1881 reunion at Cold Springs. This was on July 12, the anniversary of Captain George Stevens' victory over hostile Indians in 1874. About 5,000 people attended the 1881 reunion. The "Wise County Messenger" reported a successful day -"only the music being a failure". Events included speeches and picnicking. The reunion began to occupy the present site in 1896. By 1900 it extended to three days - honoring old settlers on the first, the veterans on the second, and daughters and sons of Confederates on the third. Sometimes 12,000 would attend, parading from courthouse to camp ground. Programs included candidates' speeches, rodeos, and sham battles. Evenings were devoted to visiting. In 1909, the grounds were leased for 25 years. Later, campsites were leased and improved by participants. The Wise County Old Settlers Association, formed in 1904, sponsored a 1907 Pioneer History by C. D. Cates. Extended to a week, with visiting in daytime and stated events in the evenings, this reunion is now the oldest recurring public event in the county. (1976)