A Forney blacksmith and entrepreneur helped people at the State Fair of Texas see a future full of automobiles, but his story was forgotten to the past, until now. NBC 5’s Noelle Walker reports on the work being done by the ‘Untold Marker’ program.
For decades, the family of Reeves Henry has been advocating to tell others of the contributions he made. On Saturday, it will happen with the unveiling of a historic marker through the 'Untold Marker' program.
"We think he is the person who did the work on the car for the first car trip that came through in 1899," Spellman Museum of Forney History Manager Kendall Nobles said.
In 1899, the first automobile that would be shown at the State Fair of Texas got into an accident in Forney on the way there.
"My great-grandfather was called to the rescue," Jimmy Malone of the Reeves Henry 1899 Foundation Inc. said.
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Local blacksmith and entrepreneur Reeves Henry fixed the car so it could get to the State Fair, and marvel fairgoers.
"They're using horse and buggy," Malone said. "So you see a car and you say, 'What? That's amazing!'"
The original historic marker put up nearly 4-decades ago that highlights the event leaves out one important part. "Everybody's name was on there, but there's no Reeves Henry," Malone said.
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For decades, Malone has been advocating to get his great-grandfather recognition. The Historic Preservation League got a grant through the Untold Marker program to get Reeves Henry his own historic marker.
"It's recognizing a longtime community member. Somebody who was well-known and well-liked in the Forney community," Nobles said. "It's also recognizing a Black person who was here in the early 1900s when they didn't get a lot of recognition themselves."
"It recognizes history as it actually was happening. It gives my family something to hang their hat on and say OK," Malone said. "It's the best thing since sliced bread!"
The Reeves Henry historic marker ceremony is Saturday, October 19 at 10:00 a.m. near the site of his old blacksmith shop at 210 East Broad Street in Forney.
