Gaming tables from a Hot Springs museum featured in the new Bass Reeves biopic series

Hot Springs, Arkansas – If you’re familiar with the hit show Yellowstone, a prequel series that tells the story of Fort Smith legend Bass Reeves is coming shortly to your television screen.

The producers of the series titled “1883: The Bass Reeves Story” utilized authentic gaming tables from the Hot Springs Gambling Museum.

The co-owner of History of Hot Springs Gambling stated, “We view it as preserving history.”

The History of Hot Springs Gambling Museum contains an assortment of enduring artifacts.

These collectibles have recently piqued the interest of screenwriters who have been researching the originators of American wagering in the 1800s in Hot Springs.

“The lady explained to me that she worked with Kingstreet Productions, and they were filming a mini-series tied into the Yellowstone series about Bass Reeves,” Hendrix said.

Bass Reeves was the first African American U.S. Marshal in the United States and one of the finest law enforcement officers in history.

Something that filmmakers desired to portray on film.

“They were looking for a roulette table,” Hendrix said. “They ended up with this roulette table which was originally out of Illinois out a Capone gambling joint in Illinois.”

According to Hendrix, this is not the first time one of their songs has been featured in a film.

“This table in our little saloon area,” Hendrix said. “It was actually John Wayne’s final scene of the movie The Shootist.”

Hendrix stated that he looks forward to sharing additional museum history both on and off-screen.

“We grow up hearing stories,” Hendrix said. “It’s a town where you can walk downtown, and touch history and we’ve tried to bring some of that here too.”

The Bass Reeves biopic series has completed filming in Fort Worth, Texas, and will premiere on television later this year.