Ghosts along the Texas Coast by Docia Schultz Williams

man, John Reeves, Sr., who came here from Pikes County, Georgia, in the early 1840s. It is believed his wife probably died in childbirth, because Reeves came to Texas alone, leaving his father and oldest son, John Jr., behind for a time. Finally, after he acquired considerable land holdings and established a law practice, he sent for young John and his father to join him. John Jr., brought his wife, Cady, and their nine children with him. Later, another child, their tenth, William Worth, was born after they had settled into their new Texas home.
    After a few years, John Jr. and his family moved to the banks of Coleto Creek, in the area now known as Reeves Thicket. John Sr. was pretty old by then (he was born in 1779) and needed looking after, so John and Cady cared for him until he passed away in 1863. His grave is one of those in the rather sizeable Reeves family cemetery that sits on what is known as Reeves Hill today.
    John Reeves, Jr., died in 1868, and at that time, one of his sons, Jonathan, whom they called Tobe, moved the family home from the banks of the Coleto Creek to its present location. It was a big house and had to be moved uphill about half a mile. Evidently it was slowly (how else?) moved uphill by being placed on huge logs, which were rolled along by teams of sturdy mules. The place that we visited recently is smaller than its original size. According to the present owner, it suffered considerable storm damage a number of years ago.
    Today’s owner of the Reeves ranch house, the old cemetery, and quite a few acres of the original holdings, is a direct descendant of the founding Reeves family, and he is “obsessed,” as he puts it, with takingcare of, and preserving, the old family homestead. A young man in his mid-30s, Charlie Faupel is a storehouse of knowledge of regional history, both factual and legendary. During a recent visit to the ranch, he was kind enough to tell us a lot of interesting things about the house and the land surrounding it, and about the spirits he feels still guard the place. According to Charlie, Tobe was probably the most colorful of the Reeves family members. He took over the ranch shortly after the Civil War ended, endured drought, hard times, outlaws, and a yellow fever epidemic. Tobe was called the “law west of the Coleto” and he was said to have administered justice in his own way. For instance, one hot summer day in the 1870s he’d been out with his men rounding up some cattle. When they got home, they found someone had stolen some of their horses. Along with some of his ranch hands, Tobe rode out to catch the culprit. They crossed over Reeves Creek and rode over to Fleming Prairie, where they found the horse thief. A shootout was the result. Tobe remained on his horse; the thief took cover and managed to shoot Tobe’s left ear off. This really made Tobe angry, according to Charlie (well, who wouldn’t be mad about losing an ear?). Now, Tobe had planned to be “fair” with the culprit and give him a hearing before hanging him, but he was so enraged that he just up and shot him right there and buried him somewhere out there on the land. Charlie says there’s some evidence of that gravesite today, and there are probably numerous other graves scattered over the vast estate.
    There was quite a big outlaw gang around in the 1860s and ’70s known as the “Brookins gang.” They lived on the Coleto and made raids on ranches in the area, but it is said they gave Tobe Reeves’ place a wide berth!
    When the Reeves family first settled the area, they decided to call their ranch Reeves Thicket because of the thick brush that dots the countryside. It was in an area once crossed by the Old Spanish Trail, and signs of the trail are evident even today. There was also an old wagon road that followed Coleto Creek. Charlie Faupel said his great-great-grandfather Tobe was a “really, truly” cattle baron of his time, and he