Henry L. Reaves
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
In office
January 14, 1963 – January 8, 2001
Preceded byJohn E. Sheffield Jr.
Succeeded byC. Ellis Black
ConstituencyBrooks County (1963–1966)
99th district (1966–1969)
71st district (1969–1973)
124th district (1973–1975)
147th district (1975–1993)
178th district (1993–2001)
Personal details
Born
Henry Lee Reaves

(1919-08-07)August 7, 1919
Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
DiedApril 2, 2007(2007-04-02) (aged 87)
Quitman, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
ProfessionFarmer, cattleman
Military service
AllegianceUnited States United States of America
Branch/service United States Army Air Forces
Rank First lieutenant

Henry Lee Reaves (August 7, 1919 – April 2, 2007) was an American farmer, cattleman, and politician. He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1963 to 2001.

Early life

Reaves was born August 7, 1919, in Kissimmee, Florida to Coy and Blanche Nance Reaves, a pioneer Osceola County family.[1] The family was engaged in open range cattle ranching, a practice common in the area in the years prior to World War II.[2][3][n 1][4] The Reaves property was a 300-acre (120 ha) spread, big enough that the nearest neighbors, on either side, were miles away.[4] It was, however, small compared to the nearby Bronson Ranch which extended to 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) at one time.[2][5] Young Reaves worked alongside land baron Irlo Bronson in the cattle business, adopting the common rancher custom of wearing a stetson, which he continued to do the rest of his life.[n 2][2][4][5][6][n 3] Both Reaves and his younger brother Tom enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Henry served as a 1st Lieutenant, Tom as a captain.[4] Upon joining the service, the cattle operations were maintained by the family, eventually passing to brother Tom. With the arrival of The Walt Disney Company in the 1960s, portions of the former cattle lands worked by the Reaves and Bronson families, including 8,380 acres (3,390 ha) owned by Irlo Bronson, became part of Disney World when the land was sold for little more than $100 an acre.[2][5] Reaves Road in Kissimmee is located along portions of the old family homestead.[1][2] After military service, Reaves worked as public affairs representative with Southern Railway and moved to Georgia, taking up farming and cattle ranching in Quitman.[7][8]

Political career

Reaves was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in November 1962, and took office in January 1963.[9] He served for the next 38 years, representing a district including Brooks County, his home of Quitman, and a southern portion of the state, bordering Florida.[7] Representative Reaves was a member of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs committee for 34 years, serving as chairman for 22 years, until his retirement. He was a member of the Democratic party.[7][10][11][12] Upon his death in April 2007, he was eulogized for standing up for issues critical to South Georgia farmers.[13] He was also remembered as the principal proponent of legislation authorizing the Boll Weevil Eradication Program in Georgia, which reestablished cotton as a major cash crop in the state.[12]

Legacy

Brooks County, Georgia and city of Quitman

During his tenure in the Georgia General Assembly, Reaves received numerous recognitions for his work on behalf of the people and institutions dedicated to Georgia agriculture. He received Outstanding Service Awards from 4-H and the Future Farmers of America, the Friend of the Farmer Award in 1992 from the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, awards for outstanding service from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as awards from the National Vocational Ag Teachers Association, and Georgia Pork Producers.[8] Reaves was inducted into the Georgia Cattlemen's Association Hall of Fame in 1987, the Georgia Peanut Commission Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1998.[14][15] For a period of 30 years, while serving in the Legislature, all state agricultural facilities built during that period were initiated or heavily influenced by Representative Reaves.[8] The Reaves Arena, an 8,250-seat multi-purpose arena in Perry, Georgia is named in honor of Representative Reaves who, along with Representative Larry Walker, was instrumental in the creation of the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, where the arena is located.[16][17][18][19] The arena hosts local sporting events and concerts. It was opened in 1990.

Death

Reaves died on April 2, 2007, at the age of 87.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Cow hunting" on the open range with Coy Reaves in the years prior to World War II.[3]
  2. ↑ Includes a photo of Henry Reaves with Irlo Bronson, Charles "Shang" Bronson, and others in working attire with horses and stetsons. The party appears to be wearing brogans instead of "cowboy boots".[2]
  3. ↑ Photo of Rep. Henry Reaves wearing trademark stetson commemorating the planting of the 50 millionth pine seedling.[6]

Citations

  1. 1 2 "Blanche Nance Reaves". Orlando Sentinel. June 17, 1987. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jim Robison (January 1, 2009). Historic Osceola County: An Illustrated History. HPN Books. pp. 79–81. ISBN 978-1-935377-02-3.
  3. 1 2 "Octogenarian Still Loves Quarter Horses and a Good Rodeo". Orlando Sentinel. December 12, 1993. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "A Cattleman for All Seasons Development Can't Fence in Tommy Reaves' Love for the Land". Orlando Sentinel. July 4, 1990. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Robinson, Jim (July 19, 1998). "Land Baron Opened Door For Disney World". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  6. 1 2 John E. Lancaster (2002). Judge Harley and His Boys: The Langdale Story. Mercer University Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-86554-823-7.
  7. 1 2 3 "Hon. Henry L. Reaves (GA SH 178)". Georgia House of Representatives. 2000. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "HR 1249 – Reaves, Honorable Henry L.; commend". Georgia House of Representatives. March 7, 2000. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Members Of The General Assembly Of Georgia - Term 1965-1966". State of Georgia. February 1965. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Henry L. Reaves". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Henry L Reaves". FamilySearch.org. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Longtime lawmaker Reaves dies". The Valdosta Daily Times. April 2, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  13. ↑ State Sen. Tim Golden (April 14, 2007). "Senate approves sales tax holiday". The Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Carter inducted into Peanut Hall of Fame". St. Petersburg Times Online. September 29, 2002. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Henry L. Reaves". University of Georgia – College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. 1998. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  16. ↑ State of Georgia. "2010 Official Code of Georgia Annotated O.C.G.A. 12-3-470". JUSTIA US Law. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  17. ↑ "New Georgia Encyclopedia". University of Georgia Press. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  18. ↑ "In the Beginning". Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  19. ↑ "GFB presents grand champion prizes at state livestock show". Georgia Farm Bureau. March 2, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
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