Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
FRANK REEVES. The people of Chelan county and central
Washington need no introduction to Frank Reeves. Chelan county itself
owes its existence to his efforts, aided by Arthur Gunn. Mr. Reeves
has demonstrated himself a man of ability, energy and integrity.
These qualities dominated by a powerful will have rightly placed him as
leader and the county owes him a debt of gratitude which it is evident
they recognize, for while Mr. Reeves is a strong Democrat, he has promptly
been placed in the responsible office of prosecuting attorney twice, the
people laying aside politics, since they are largely Republican, when his
name is before them. They chose the man and they were not mistaken
in their choice.
Frank Reeves was born in Watseka, Illinois,
on August 13, 1866, the son of Isaac W. and Susan C. (German) Reeves, natives
of Indiana and now residing on a fruit ranch in the vicinity of Wenatchee.
The Reeves family came from England to Virginia in the seventeenth century
and have been prominent since. The father served in the Twenty-fifth
Illinois Infantry, Company F, for three years and three months. He
participated in thirty-nine hard battles, among which are Chickamauga,
Missionary Ridge, Stone River and so forth. The mother's father also
served in the Civil War. Our subject was principally in Kansas during
his minority. He was well educated through the graded and high schools
at St. John and then read law in the office of T. F. Halverson, prosecuting
attorney of Stafford county. He completed his course before twenty-one,
and then took up newspaper work. He did reportorial and editorial
work in Kansas, Colorado, and Washington, also on the Review in Spokane,
and mined on the Pend d'Oreille in addition thereto. Later he taught
school in Postfalls for one year. Then he founded the first Democratic
paper in Ellensburg and in 1891 came to Wenatchee. He founded the
Advance, sold it in the spring of 1893, started the
Times
in Leavenworth and in 1896 sold that. In 1899, Mr. Reeves, aided
by Arthur Gunn, went to Olympia to secure the segregation of Chelan county
and success crowned the wise efforts put forth. Early in 1900, Mr.
Reeves was admitted to the practice of law before the supreme court and
at the first election in the county, he was chosen prosecuting attorney
and in 1902 his own successor. Mr. Reeves has one brother and one
sister, Fred, and Rose Fuller.
On August 31, 1888, Mr. Reeves married Miss
Belle Culp, at Genesee, Kansas. She was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio,
where also her parents were born. One child, Zelma, now eleven, was
born to this union and she is the first white child born in Wenatchee.
Mr. Reeves is a member of the I. 0. 0. F. and the Elks. Mr. Reeves
has various holdings, as a fruit ranch, town property and mining interests.
He is one of the leading men of the Columbia valley and is the center of
a large circle of admiring friends.