George Washington Reese (d. 1863), his wife Celia (d. 1879), and seven children came to Texas from Alabama in 1857. They settled at Sumpter, then the Trinity County seat. Sumpter declined after the Civil War, and in 1870 Celia and her twins sons, Robert (d. 1881) and William (d. 1925) bought land at this site in the Friendship Community. William built a sawmill, grist mill, and cotton gin. He also deeded land in 1906 for Friendship School, which operated until 1939. The community eventually disappeared, but William Reese's family has operated this ranch for over a century.