The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1911-04-06
EARLY COMERS In HENDERSON
The Reavis, s,FamiIy First Settled Here
MANY Years AgO-SOme Points of
interest in the Early History of
Our ftustIlug Little City.

Our HustIing Little City.
N,ssrs. Thomas and Lucien Reavis
lett last week for their home in Texas.
The coming of these gen tlemen, and
the settlement Of the W. W. Reavis
.-tat4. calls attention to some very
Interesting facts relating to Hender-
~.,n 1t is worthy of note, and to
rha interest of the town, that the
first man to come into this vicinity
came because it was q healthful lOca-
tinp. Samuel Reavis moved from
Northampton county in 1889, seek
inp section free from malaria. lie
f,uud il. 50 he remained, and go have
many of his descendants to this day.
Whati,nOw Garnctt street, the prln-
ripnl business thorOughfare of one
of the most progressive towns in the
State, was 125 years ago part OF the
rrrat stage road from Washington
10 columbia. Samuel Reavis bought
:, ,,tract of land situated Oh both sides
If this road, and built home near
where the ColOred Normal Institute
now stands. Samuel, Lewis, and
Whitfield, the three SONS of the plO-
uerr, bought land and all settled in
thi- then part of Granville county.
In the spring OF 1871 Lewis Reavis
EuiIt the first store building erected
in Henderson. near Mr. II. 7. Hicks
office site, and began merchandise
iur business with his brOther-in-law,
William Evans. William Evans was
lo homesick for his Virginia home
that he called the village "IOnpsOme
yniley." bnt he stayed on until his
death in 1922, finding that it was in
deed ''As gOOdly n land as the sun
r'rr shonp on" This same year the
first dwelling house erected i'm Hen
drrson proper was built by Lewis
ipavis where Mr.. J. w. Beck nowihas
residence.
These three brothers all had large
families. Some of them moved West.
Chief Justice James B. Reavis, OF
Washington State, is a descendant of
this faI lily and some moved South,
and wherever they have migrated, it
seems, they have been large land
owners, and the gift of ten acres to
the town wears ago the site OF the
Sruboard Air Line. Railway square,
seems to Indicate that they have
ever been n public spirited family.
The Kerner property on William
-urrpt is n part Of the original tract.
Mra. =. f.. Kernpr being n descend
ant Of Samuel Rrnvis, this land has,
therefore. been in tn" family since
1850.
Mr.. Thomas Kenvis, who returned
! ONE last week, at one time owned II
nrg" ranch in Texas. but the land
there, worth from $50 to $50 an
mere. is too valuable for this pur-
pose and nov his land il therefore
ndrrcultivation. According to him,
large ranches in Texas are things
Of the past The country has be
come SO thickIy settled that the
roundup" wagon is no longer run.
Then he very interestingly explained
tine workings of n large ranch rs
4trn today in Wyoming and other
Western States. How in the spring
II round up" wagon, with six COW,
boys and seven or eight reps, are
sent by each ranch to the head oi
first one creek, and then another
and 40 on. And how the cowboys
rratter and drive all the cattle first
into the bed of the creek, and then
down to it's mouth, where the calves
ARE branded in the brands of their
mothers They are then separated
into different lunches, it seems
aud driven hy the cowboys and
reps" to their owners ranch, that
the fat ones may be shipped tC
market During the winter the
round up wagons and cowboys
are stationed ut different points tc
feed the poor cattle. The cowboys
who act as representatives ut Other
Ranches are called reps.