Peggy Gaskamp Collection

Historical Note

Peggy Gaskamp began her research in 2003 after moving into the house William Reeves built around 1895 for his family in Caldwell, Texas. The house was designed in the Queen Anne Style by architect James Teague, who is known to have built similar houses in other cities throughout the country. It received a Texas historical marker in 1983 for its architectural significance and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. 

According to Gaskamp's research, William Reeves was born in North Carolina in 1858 and was raised by his cousin Edward Reeves. Edward moved with William to Caldwell in 1860 and began a successful career in business and banking. As a young man, William joined Edward in the banking business. William later went into the oil business, opening the Caldwell Oil Mill in 1893. In 1907, he sold his house to his oil mill foreman, Civil War Capt. Mansell Womack, and moved to Fort Worth where he founded the First Fort Worth Bank and Trust. The Reeves-Walker House in Fort Worth, as it is now known, was built by Reeves and later sold to John Walker. This Queen Anne- and Neo-Classical-styled house also has a historical marker for its architectural significance. 

Scope and Content

The collection consists of genealogy research on William Reeves, historical marker files for the Reeves houses, and images of the Reeves-Womack House in Caldwell. The materials are dated 1970s-2013. 

Materials in this collection consist of the following:

Digital Images

• Reeves-Womack House in Caldwell, Texas, 1970s-1990s

Documents

• Texas Historical Marker Registration Form for the Reeves-Womack House in Caldwell, 1983
• National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Reeves-Womack House in Caldwell, 1992
• William Reeves genealogy research, 1907-1993
• Reeves-Womack - Beseda Historical Home, presentation transcript, by Peggy Gaskamp, undated

 Monochromatic snapshot of the Reeves-Womack House in Caldwell, Texas, 1970s