Was The Lone Ranger(TV series) really based on the U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves?

For generations, the Lone Ranger has charged the imaginations of millions around the world with tales of western adventure and the pursuit of justice. But a number of historians now believe that the Lone Ranger was possibly based on a real person, an escaped Texas slave turned U.S. Marshal named Bass Reeves. Regardless of any possible link to the Lone Ranger stories of the twentieth century, the story of Reeves is as remarkable as any western legend.

In his long career, he brought more than three thousand criminals to justice. He found himself in shootouts with several suspects but was never wounded himself. Judge Parker often praised Reeves and his skills. In 1893, Reeves returned to Texas to serve as U. S. Marshal for the federal district court in Paris. He never learned to read, but he was able to memorize warrants read to him and could almost always track down suspects with his dogged determination and respect for the law. After 32 years as a federal law officer, he stepped down.

Reeves served for two more years with the Muskogee Police Department in Oklahoma before retiring in 1909 at age 70. His health in decline, he passed away in January 1910. He was widely celebrated across the West before his death and in the years afterward. Stories sprang up and expanded based on his legendary exploits, apparently inspiring the Lone Ranger stories, though other lawmen may have been responsible. The Lone Ranger first appeared on radio in 1933 in Detroit, Michigan, just a generation after his death, followed by the popular TV series that ran from 1949 to 1957 as well as several movies and comic books. Today, a statue in Fort Smith commemorates the amazing life of Reeves.