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In
memory of Inez Sterling Adams (Jan. 12, 1923 - Apr.
15, 2002), daughter of the former head of the Texas
Rangers and Texas Adjutant General W.W. Sterling.
Thank you for your input and help in the making of
this page, and most of all, your kindness. You
will be missed. - Ralph
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The
Ranger
story
begins
in
1823,
the
Father
of
Texas,
Stephen
F.
Austin
realized
the
need
for
a
body
of
men
to
protect
his
colony,
and
the
land
settlement
effort
that
marked
the
beginning
of
Texas’
development.
On
August
5,
1823,
on
the
back
of
a
proclamation
issued
by
Land
Commissioner
Baron
de
Bastrop,
Austin
wrote
that
he
would
“...employ
ten
men...to
act
as
rangers
for
the
common
defense...the
wages
I
will
give
said
ten
men
is
fifteen
dollars
a
month
payable
in
property...” |
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These
men,
not
soldier,
not
even
militia,
“ranged”
the
area
of
Austin’s
colony,
protecting
settlers
from
Indians.
When
no
threat
seemed
evident,
the
men
returned
to
their
families
and
land.
Despite
Austin’s
plan
to
pay
a
group
of
Rangers,
the
defense
effort
continued
primarily
on
a
voluntary
basis.
The
Texas
Rangers
were
officially
established
in
1835,
while
Texas
was
in
the
midst
of
revolution
against
Mexico.
The
Texas
Rangers
remained
an
independent
law
enforcement
agency
until
1935,
when
they
became
part
of
a
newer
and
larger
law
enforcement
agency,
the
Texas
Department
of
Public
Safety.
I've
had
numerous
requests
for
information
about
individual
Texas
Rangers.
The
best
source
that
I
can
find
is
the
Texas
Ranger
Hall
of
Fame
and
Museum
in
Waco,
Texas.
Click
on
the
below
image
to
visit
the
Texas
Rangers
Hall
of
Fame
and
Museum
in
Waco,
Texas.
In
every
case,
the
individuals
at
the
Texas
Ranger
Hall
of
Fame
and
Museum
have
been
extremely
helpful.
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Ranger
Captain
Reunion |
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Five
Ranger
Captains
whose
service
extended
from
1876
to
1933.
Seated
Captain
Dan
Roberts,
Company
D.
Standing,
from
left
to
right,
Captain
J.A.
Brooks,
Adjutant
General
W.W.
Sterling,
former
Ranger
Captain,
Frank
A.
Hamer,
and
Captain
John
R.
Hughes.
The
photo
was
taken
in
Austin,
Texas
-
August,
1931.
Photo:
Inez
Sterling
Adams |
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The
Bandit
War |
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The
Bandit
War
took
place
in
the
lower
Rio
Grande
valley
of
Texas,
between
1910
and
1918. The
war
was
a
result
of
the
Mexican
Revolution,
between
1910
and
1920.
Visit
the
Robert
Runyon
Photograph
Collection
of
the
South
Texas
Border
Area,
a
collection
of
over
8,000
items,
is
a
unique
visual
resource
documenting
the
Lower
Rio
Grande
Valley
during
the
early
1900s.
In
the
photo
to
the
right;
rangers
Tom
Mayfield,
W.W.
Sterling,
and
O.D.
Cardwell
are
shown
in
Pharr,
Texas
during
the
height
of
the
Bandit
War.
W.W.
(Bill)
Sterling
would
later
become
Adjutant
General
of
Texas.
As
governors
changed,
Ranger
leadership
usually
changed.
Though
history
shows
many
good
men
wore
the
Ranger
badge,
in
the
1920s
and
1930s,
the
system
was
rife
with
politics
and
ripe
for
abuse. |
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When
Governor
Miriam
"Ma"
Ferguson
took
office
in
1933,
Adjutant
General
W.W.
Sterling
resigned
his
office
in
protest
of
criminals
being
appointed
as
Texas
Rangers
by
"Ma"
Ferguson.
Forty
Rangers,
including
his
good
friend
Capt.
Frank
Hamer,
left
with
him.
Frank
Hamer
would
later
track
down
and
kill
the
outlaws
Bonnie
and
Clyde. |
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