Badges of the Texas Rangers

Because the hero in my work in progress is a Texas Ranger, I’ve been dusting off my research files to be sure I have the facts right.

The Texas Rangers, one of the most well-known law enforcement agencies in the world, has an on-again off-again history. First established in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin to “act as rangers for the common defense, the Rangers were disbanded and reformed many times over the years, mostly at the whim of whatever politician was in power at the time. It wasn’t until 1987 that the Texas Legislature enacted a statute that made the Texas Rangers a permanent entity of the Department of Public Service.

Through those years, the Rangers have worn several different styles of badges. Contrary to legend, they didn’t start out with stars on their vests. The first Rangers carried a Warrant of Authority, signed by The Adjutant General, that granted them the right to enforce the law when and where they saw fit.

It wasn’t until 1889 that the first Texas Ranger badge was created. This unofficial badge was made from a Mexican silver dollar by the Rangers riding the southern and western parts of the state. The five-pointed star design is thought to have come from the unofficial seal of the state of Texas, first used in 1835.

 

It changed a bit over the years:

1910 - 

      

  

An official, state-issued badge didn’t come along until 1935.

 

And even that changed again in 1957:

 

 Then, in 1962, in a move that the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety called “going back to the tradition steeped Mexican silver badge worn by their predecessors during frontier days,” the department adopted their permanent badge. 

 

 

The “wagon-wheel” design is a five-pointed star, symbolizing the “Lone Star” of Texas, supported by an engraved wheel. The oak leaves on the left side represent strength and the olive branch on the right signifies peace, just as they appear on the Texas State Seal. The center of the star is reserved for the Company designation or the rank of Sergeant or Captain or Senior Captain.

This is the star you will see today on the uniform of every Texas Ranger, along with their boots, revolvers and signature white cowboy hats.

If you want to know more about the Texas Rangers, visit their website: www.texasranger.org. There’s some fascinating stuff on that site.

Los Diablos Tejanos: the Texas Rangers — #Giveaway

As a Texan, I’ve always been fond of the Texas Rangers, an elite law-enforcement agency that functions as the state’s own FBI. Like their predecessors who patrolled Texas’s wide-open spaces during the 19th Century, the 150 men and women who compose the force today are a tough, savvy bunch no one wants to find on their trail. Texans revere the organization not only for the outfit’s history, but also because today’s Rangers serve as an outstanding example of upstanding devotion to an ideal.

Texas Rangers, c. 1890

Unofficially formed in 1823 and made official in 1835 by an act of the newly formed Republic of Texas government, the Rangers are the oldest statewide law-enforcement body in the U.S. At first the tough, hard-bitten men were a paramilitary force tasked with protecting the frontier from Indians and desperados. Mexicans called them los diablos Tejanos — Texas devils. They were poorly paid and expected to furnish their own horses, weapons, and ammunition, but their never-say-die attitude quickly became legendary. Admittedly, sometimes they abandoned the letter of the law in pursuit of their objectives, but they always got the job done.

Fearful of the organization’s reputation, the federal government disbanded the Rangers in 1865, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. Texas re-commissioned the outfit in 1874, after the state emerged from martial law under Union occupation forces. Shortly before the turn of the 20th Century, the Rangers acquired the motto that still follows them today: “One riot; one Ranger.”

Except for one brief-but-notorious period of corruption in the 1920s, the organization has performed its function with stellar character. The Rangers always get their man.

The Ghost of
Peacemaker Awards Past

Little did I realize they sometimes capture awards, as well. On June 1, when the western authors professional organization Western Fictioneers announced the winners of the annual Peacemaker Awards, no one was more surprised (or pleased, I must say) than I to discover “The Second-Best Ranger in Texas” had received one of the honors, for Best Short Fiction. Last year’s Best Short Fiction Peacemaker went to Livia J. Washburn’s “Charlie’s Pie,” so I feel my story is in good company.

I also feel Prairie Rose Publications, which published both western historical romances, is acquitting itself admirably on the western fiction front. Another PRP release, Prodigal Gun, was named a finalist for the Best First Novel award. Prodigal Gun is the first novel-length western historical romance ever nominated for a Peacemaker.

Over the past eighteen months, a number of books and short stories published by Prairie Rose Publications have been nominated for or received awards of all kinds. If that’s any indication, PRP is off to a great start. Founded in August 2013 by Livia Washburn Reasoner and Cheryl Pierson, the company is and always will be dedicated to publishing traditional westerns and western romance written by women. Nevertheless, in less than two years PRP has expanded to include young adult, inspirational, paranormal, and medieval lines. The “little publishing company” releases some darn fine fiction. I’m proud it publishes mine.

The hero in “The Second-Best Ranger in Texas” is a Texas Ranger booted from the force when his partner’s death turns him into a loose cannon bent on revenge...as soon as he does his brother-in-arms one last favor. When he discovers the woman his partner asked him to protect is a nun, all hell breaks loose.

Excerpt

If Dulce had ever been in San Miguel, like as not she disappeared with everyone else when the hole in the border burned to the ground. Somehow, the saloon escaped the flames, thank God. A man got mighty thirsty crossing half of Texas.

Quinn tied Bull’s-Eye to the scorched rail beside a chestnut and buckskin carrying Mexican saddles and no brands. The long-gun scabbards on both horses sat empty. Chewing his lip, he slid the Winchester from Bull’s-Eye’s boot, pulled the brim of his hat lower, and sauntered inside.

Two trail-worn hardcases held up the bar at the back of the dingy room. They glanced over their shoulders, and then returned to their beers. The tight-lipped cuss guarding the liquor claimed to know nothing.

Quinn grabbed a bottle and retreated to a table in the front corner. He was three-quarters of the way to the bottom of the bad whiskey when hope arrived on painted wings.

A small flock of bright birds fluttered in through a door behind the bar. They paused to chirp and preen for the disinterested hombres with the saddle guns and beers, and then headed for Quinn.

He grinned.

Without so much as a howdy, one of them plopped herself into his lap, jiggling everything she owned. The half-light did her a favor. “You look like a man who could use some company.”

“Maybe.” He tossed a healthy shot of rotgut down his throat and slammed the glass onto the tabletop. “Looking for a girl goes by Dulce.”

A dove squeezed between Quinn and the wall and snaked bare arms across his shoulders. Long nails toyed with the buttons on his vest while a honeyed whisper dropped into his ear. “All of us can be sweet, guapo, if that is what you want.”

The whore in his lap ran a fingertip along his unshaven jaw. “We can also be very, very naughty.”

That’s when the nun walked in.

Sharp nails raked Quinn’s cheek when he dumped the dove on her ass and sat forward, blinking.

Yep. A nun, wearing a habit so white it almost glowed, except for the black apron and the dust on the hem.

He glanced at the near-empty bottle, then trained his gaze on the apparition’s ramrod-straight back as she marched across the room. The sister confronted the Tejano barkeep as though she did so every day.

When she spoke, Quinn could’ve sworn he heard Spanish mission bells. “Señor, I beg your assistance.”

Captain Jeffries was right. He needed to swear off the firewater.


To celebrate the Best Short Fiction Peacemaker, I’ll gift an e-book of “The Second-Best Ranger in Texas” to two folks who answer this question in the comments:

What makes a Texas Ranger hero sexy?

I’ll pick one commenter at random from Thursday’s comments, and another from Friday’s.

New Release --- WISH FOR THE MOON by Celia Yeary -- Free Book Giveaway!

We will be giving away a free copy of WISH FOR THE MOON by Celia Yeary, so be sure an leave a comment to enter the drawing.

BLURB:
At the dawn of the Twentieth Century, sixteen-year-old Annie McGinnis wishes for a chance to see more of the world, since all she’s ever known is the family farm in North Texas. A mysterious visitor arrives who will change not only her life, but her family’s as well. To save Max Landry from a bogus charge, she follows him and the Texas Rangers back to the coal-mining town one county over where a murder occurred. The short journey sets Annie on a path of discovery—new horizons, an inner strength, and quite possibly…love.

EXCERPT:

    “I’ve never been anywhere, at least far away. Oh, how I would love to go to Paris, too, and New York. Other than Brazos City, I’ve only been over to Mineral Wells, once. Did you know they have the healing water baths there in two hotels? People come from all over. Anyway, we went to a fair and rode a Ferris wheel and a carousel, and ate hot dogs from a stand, and even had fairy fluff. I didn’t really care for that pink gooey junk, though. It was sort of disappointing, you know? What you saw was something awful pretty and it promised to be something outstanding, but when you bit into it, all you got was a mouthful of airy stuff that just disappeared in your mouth.”
    Max stopped in the field, took Annie’s arm, and turned her toward him. “Did you know, Annie McGinnis, you’ve just articulated how I feel much of the time?”
    “What…what do you mean, ar-ticu-lated?” she asked with widened eyes.
    Before he answered, he lowered the tote to the ground, and placed his hands low on his hips, gazing away from her. Words wouldn’t come exactly as he wanted, but she had expressed the convoluted thoughts he had in his head much of the time.
    He turned back and said very slowly, “Often I see something nice I might like to have, a big house, one of those new motor cars they’re making now, a new tailored suit with a hat to match, or…a family…” His voice trailed off as if he forgot what he wanted to say, but really, he just didn’t know how to express his feelings.
    “Go ahead, Max, say it,” she urged gently. “A family to come home to.”
    He shook his head. “But it could all disappear in an instant, right before your eyes. Don’t you see?     It’s not worth it in the end. You think you have something forever and bang, it’s all gone. Turned to nothing in your mouth when at first, it seemed so sweet.”
    Annie stepped closer to him and placed her hands on his upper arms. He stood still and looked at her, waiting for her to speak. His heart beat hard against his ribs, and the warmth from her small hands burned through his shirtsleeves, but he didn’t move and waited for her to speak.
    “Max,” she began very softly, “don’t you see? Life hurts sometimes, doesn’t it? Does that mean you hide away, and curl up and die because you’re afraid? Even animals don’t do that, Max. They move on, find another burrow, another place and maybe another family, but they start over somehow.     You can’t run forever, you know. Soon, you should stop, make a decision, and move on toward your goal. Wandering about like the hoboes that sometime sit under the trestle isn’t for you. You’re too smart and too good to give up on the life the Lord gave you. Wouldn’t you be ashamed of yourself? Stand up, Max, and move on. Find your place and live.”
    Max couldn’t move and he was even afraid to breathe. Before he could stop his emotions, a lone tear leaked out of the corner of one eye. Without thinking, he pulled Annie to him, and kissed her sweetly and sincerely on her soft lips.
    When he broke the kiss, she smiled at him like the angel she was. “Let’s keep moving, you think?” Max asked.
    “Yes,” she said, and smiled so brightly that he thought he might break down and really cry.
    “Come on, then,” he said. “Show me the way.”

LINKS:   

B&N Nook           Smashwords

PRP #NewRelease--GUARDING HER HEART--Heart Pounding Action

In all these years of marriage, my husband James's love for B-Western movies has rubbed off on me, especially an appreciation for the stunt work involved, to the extent that my longest-running series features Lucas Hallam, a private detective and Western movie extra who works in 1920s Hollywood. (Hallam is a supporting character in my story "Tinseltown", from the PRESENT FOR A COWBOY anthology.)

I love writing action scenes, so when I set out to write "Guarding Her Heart", I wanted to include the sort of spectacular stunt that took place in so many B-Westerns: a great stagecoach chase scene culminating with the coach plunging off a cliff. You can see two amazing stunts from the 1938 serial Zorro's Fighting Legion.

Of course, in a story no stuntmen or horses are actually at risk, but I hoped to achieve the same sort of pulse-pounding thrills, as the movie trailers put it. And Grant and Julia have plenty of other thrills coming their way in "Guarding Her Heart" as well...

BLURB:

Julia Courtland was on her way west to marry a man she had never met. Henry Everett, the marshal of Flat Rock, Texas, was the grandson of her uncle's best friend. It seemed like a good match for both of them, and the wedding was scheduled to take place on Valentine's Day.

Grant Stafford thought the young woman who got on the stagecoach at Buffalo Springs was the prettiest thing he had seen in a long time. She wasn't too friendly, mind you, but she was sure easy on the eyes. Not that Grant had time to worry much about such things. He was the shotgun guard on this run, but more than that, he was an undercover Texas Ranger on the trail of the vicious outlaw gang responsible for a string of stagecoach robberies.

Fate threw Julia Courtland and Grant Stafford together on a cold February day in West Texas, but it also threw deadly obstacles in their path. A runaway team, a terrible crash, and bullets flying through the air threaten to steal not only their lives but also any chance they have for happiness. If they're going to survive, they will have to learn to trust each other . . . and maybe steal their hearts back from fate.

EXCERPT:

The sharp crack of a rifle shot interrupted Grant. Beside him, Scalphunter grunted and rocked back against the seat. The old frontiersman struggled to hang on to the reins.

Grant searched for the source of the shot, but at the same time his worried gaze darted to Scalphunter. A red stain spread on the old man's shirtfront, blossoming like a crimson flower.

From the corner of his eye, Grant spotted a man standing on top of a boulder with a rifle. He lifted the shotgun and touched off one of the barrels just as the man fired a second shot. This bullet hit the brass rail running around the top of the coach and spanged off. As far as Grant could tell, his buckshot didn't hit anything.

More shots cracked. They had driven right into an ambush. A bullet creased one of the horses and made it let out a shrill whinny as it leaped ahead.

That was all it took for things to get even worse. The team bolted, leaving the road behind and taking off across the flats.

BUY LINKS                     B&N nook            SMASHWORDS

#NewRelease: THE SECOND-BEST RANGER IN TEXAS

By Kathleen Rice Adams

Texas Ranger, c. 1846 (Library of Congress collection)

As a Texan, I’ve always been fond of the Texas Rangers, an elite law-enforcement agency that functions as the state’s own FBI. Like their predecessors who patrolled Texas’s wide-open spaces during the 19th Century, the 150 men and women who compose the force today are a tough, savvy bunch no one wants to find on their trail. Texans revere the organization not only for the outfit’s history, but also because today’s Rangers serve as an outstanding example of upstanding devotion to an ideal.

Unofficially formed in 1823 and made official in 1835 by an act of the newly formed Republic of Texas government, the Rangers are the oldest statewide law-enforcement body in the U.S. At first the tough, hard-bitten men were a paramilitary force tasked with protecting the frontier from Indians and desperados. They were poorly paid and expected to furnish their own horses, weapons, and ammunition, but their never-say-die attitude quickly became legendary. Admittedly, sometimes they abandoned the letter of the law in pursuit of their objectives, but they always got the job done.

Fearful of the organization’s reputation, the federal government disbanded the Rangers during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. Texas re-commissioned the outfit in 1874, after the state emerged from martial law under Union occupation forces. Shortly before the turn of the 20th Century, the Rangers acquired the motto that still follows them today: “One riot; one Ranger.”

Except for one brief-but-notorious period of corruption in the 1920s, the organization has performed its function with stellar character.

The hero in The Second-Best Ranger in Texas, a 99-cent standalone short story Prairie Rose publications released today, is a Texas Ranger booted from the force when his partner’s death turns him into a loose cannon bent on revenge...as soon as he does his brother-in-arms one last favor.


A washed-up Texas Ranger. A failed nun with a violent past. A love that will redeem them both.

His partner’s grisly death destroyed Texas Ranger Quinn Barclay. Cashiered for drunkenness and refusal to follow orders, he sets out to fulfill his partner’s dying request, armed only with a saloon girl’s name.

Sister María Tomás thought she wanted to become a nun, but childhood dreams aren’t always meant to be. At last ready to relinquish the temporary vows she never should have made, she begs the only man she trusts to collect her from a mission in the middle of nowhere.

When the ex-Ranger’s quest collides with the ex-nun’s plea in a burned-out border town, unexpected love blooms among shared memories of the dead man who was a brother to them both.

Too bad he was also the only man who could have warned them about the carnage to come.

Available as an e-book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

To celebrate the release, I'll give a copy of The Second-Best Ranger in Texas, in the format of their choice, to one of the folks who comments on today’s post.

Tidbits about Texas and the Texas Rangers.

 

 

 

Phyliss Miranda

USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author

I love the Texas Rangers ... how about you?  Until I began writing, I didn’t even know other states had rangers, particularly Arizona, but there’s just something about a Texas Ranger that I love to pieces. 

Since 1823, the Texas Rangers have represented the highest ideals of Texas and America to admirers around the world. Individually, they are some of the most colorful heroes in American history. Together, they brought peace to an untamed frontier, and in the process became one of the most famous and respected crime-fighting forces anywhere. 

Hitler and the Texas Rangers.  The name “Rangers” is synonymous with the Texas Rangers, and never was it more clear than during WWII. On August 19, 1942, three Commando units of the British 2^nd Canadian Division landed in France. The purpose was to create an illusion of a major invasion and force Hitler to halt troops bound for the Russian front. However, somewhere along the line the British Commandos became the Texas Rangers. Apparently the confusion came with leaks that a special American combat unit, the legendary U.S. Army Rangers, who were modeled after the successful British Commandos, had invaded. Hitler was rumored to have watched Amerikanische westliche Filme (American westerns), and only knew of the Texas Rangers who were depicted in American movies played in European theaters during the 20’s and 30’s. As a result, the only American "Rangers" known to Hitler were heroic men in white hats, who single-handedly cleaned up entire towns with blazing guns.  Ironically, the Texas Rangers did volunteer to go to Europe but were not allowed to do so by our military. For a short period of time, thanks to rumor, the legend of the Texas Rangers offered hope to the residents of occupied France, two years before the Allies successfully landed on the beaches of Normandy.  

Texas Ranger uniform.  Before the 1950’s there was no official uniform, although some companies tried to administer the coordination of outfits that proved unpopular. Traditionally, Texas Ranger clothing is conservative western attire, specifically with white or tan hats, cowboy boots, white western cut shirt, tie, pants and belt.  But there is one requirement. A Ranger must wear an “appropriate” Texas Ranger hat, which is light-colored and shaped in a businessman’s style, commonly called the Rancher or Cattleman. Brims must not exceed 4 inches or be flat with edges rolled up. Hats excessively crushed, rolled, or dipped are not acceptable.  The elite lawmen own both a quality straw and a felt hat to be worn as determined by the weather or assignment. 

The Texas Rangers and the Alamo.  In answer to Col. Travis’ request for assistance in defending the Alamo, a party of Texas Ranges responded. The Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers answered the call, fought, and died alongside the other defenders of the Alamo.

Santa Anna escaped death because he was a Mason. This myth isn’t about the Texas Rangers, but I thought it fit with today’s discussion. Although not all historians agree, this statement can be dispelled by truths. In April of 1836, Santa Anna was captured after the defeat of the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, and legend has it that he saved himself from execution by giving secret "Masonic signs" when he was seized, and later when he was brought before General Sam Houston.  Some historians believe that he simply filled the air with Masonic signs and gave a distress signal grip to Houston because he feared for his life. In truth, by using his knowledge of Masonic rituals, the captured Mexican dictator may have appealed to his captors to spare his life. However, they were under no obligation to save him for several reasons. First, Santa Anna had disowned the Masonic fraternity and outlawed its practice in Mexico, thus placing him outside the protection of any Masonic obligations. Secondly, Santa Anna was worth more to Texas alive than dead. Incidentally, President Andrew Jackson and General Houston were members of the same Masonic lodge, the Cumberland Lodge No. 8 in Nashville, Tennessee. Jackson wrote to Houston and asked him to spare Santa Anna's life, reminding Houston that "while he is in your power, the difficulties of your enemy, in raising another army, will be great.... Let not his blood be shed, unless imperious necessity demands it....” Could it be that President Jackson intended to seek humanity and wisdom to halt an enemy?

In western historical romances, Texas Rangers make a terrific hero because of the qualities they are known for.  I have to admit, I love ‘um too, although my favorites to write are crusty ol’ retired Ranger sidekicks.

Whether it’s television, movies, or books, who is your favorite Texas Ranger?

 

 

The REAL Texas Rangers

Ever since the masked man in the white hat rode across the silver screen upholding the law and saving damsels in distress, I’ve been a fan of the Texas Rangers. From a few carefully chosen men protecting the Texas frontier to the elite of modern law enforcement, the history of the Texas Rangers is as colorful as the land and people they protect.

Hollywood has been enamored with this badge-wearing hero since 1910, when the first movie featuring a Ranger was released. But who are the real Texas Rangers?

In 1823 the Empresario of Mexico, Stephen F. Austin, created two companies of men to act as “rangers for the common defense.” These men had to be strong leaders and fighters, and needed some specialized skills:

   >marksmanship with rifle and pistol;

   >horsemanship;

   >mastery of the outdoor life; and

   >knowledge of the foe.

They also had to have their own horse and weapons, since the government provided only powder, lead and a few provisions. After that, they had to fend for themselves.

The Texas Rangers have been formed and disbanded many times in their history. In 1835, the provisional Texas government authorized recruiting 25 Rangers. That number grew to 3 companies of 56 men each, who all mustered out in 1846 and joined the Army as scouts and guerilla fighters, and became sensations in the eastern newspapers. That’s where the legend of the Texas Rangers began.

1874 brought the creation of six companies of 75 “young men, in good physical condition, without families, who owned good horses.” The state was to furnish arms and ammunition at cost, the amount to be deducted from the first pay of each soldier. Because the state only provided .45 caliber ammunition, the Rangers began using what is arguably the best-known weapon of the West:  The New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol, aka

THE PEACEMAKER

A FEW MILESTONES FOR THE TEXAS RANGERS:

1877  Salt War in El Paso

1877  Outlaw John Wesley Hardin shot in Pensacola, Florida

1878  Notorious outlaw Sam Bass captured near Round Rock, Texas

1880  Company “C” sent to the Panhandle to explore, making expanded

                  settlement possible

1883  Free Range War - sent to stop fence cutting and enforce peace

1900  Galveston Hurricane - maintain the peace and uphold the law

1901  Law enforcement around the oil boom

1915  Pancho Villa & the border raids

1920s Enforced Prohibition laws

In 1939, Captain Frank Hamer and 49 retired Texas Rangers offered their services to the King of England to defend their shores against Nazi invasion. That sent rumors flying through Hitler’s Reich that the Texas Rangers planned to infiltrate Nazi Germany. The rumors were based on tales of U.S. Army Ranger commandos, but by then the Texas Rangers were so famous that the Gestapo and Ministry of Propaganda assumed they would be facing the Texas Rangers.

By the way, Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Manny Gilbert were the law enforcement officers responsible for stopping Bonnie & Clyde.

The Texas Rangers didn’t become a permanent force until 1987. Today, the Rangers are made up of 116 officers, organized in Six Companies – the same six companies that were first put together in 1874.

Today’s Texas Rangers are considered to be one of the most effective investigative law enforcement agencies in the world.

And Hollywood still loves them. To date, Texas Rangers have appeared as characters in more than 220 films.

If you have never visited the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco, Texas, put it on your must-see list. It is a fascinating glimpse of the men and women who make up this amazing law enforcement agency. http://www.texasranger.org/

Visit www.tracygarrett.com for information about me, my books and my stories in PRP's exciting anthologies WISHING FOR A COWBOY: Her Christmas Wish; & HEARTS AND SPURS: Coming Home!

Show Me Your Badge: Texas Ranger ID

In Livia J. Washburn’s short story “Guarding Her Heart,” hero Grant Stafford is a shotgun guard on a stagecoach. Grant is no ordinary guard, though:

The driver said, “Are you nervous about your first trip ridin’ shotgun, son?”

“No, not really,” Grant replied. His gaze roamed constantly over the landscape as he searched for signs of danger.

What he saw was a wide sweep of mostly ranching country, cut through with stretches of badlands and dotted with low mesas. At this time of year, the middle of February, it was drab and gloomy, but in a few months, once the weather started to warm up and the wildflowers popped out, it would be a sea of color, beautiful for a time…before the heat of summer set in and turned much of the vegetation sere and brown.

But the really important thing, Grant thought, was that the rugged terrain offered plenty of hiding places for outlaws to lie in wait for a passing stagecoach. Such holdups had occurred all too often on this run in recent months.

And that was why he’d been sent here by the Texas Rangers—to put a stop to it.

Later on, Grant is required to prove who he is, so he whips out an iconic badge.

If you had been in the crowd, would you have recognized Grant’s badge? Test your knowledge: Which of the alleged Texas Ranger badges below are genuine? Pick one from each set. (All images are ©Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, Waco, Texas, and are used with permission. All Rights Reserved.)

Set 1

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

Answer: The right-hand badge, dated 1889, is the earliest authenticated Texas Ranger badge in the collection of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Badges weren’t standard issue for Rangers until 1935, although from 1874 onward, individual Rangers sometimes commissioned badges from jewelers or gunsmiths, who made them from Mexican coins. Relatively few Rangers wore a badge out in the open. As for the item on the left? There’s no such thing as a “Texas Ranger Special Agent.”

Set 2

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

Answer: On the left is an official shield-type badge issued between 1938 and 1957. Ranger captains received gold badges; the shields issued to lower ranks were silver. The badge on the right is a fake, though similar authentic badges exist.

Set 3

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

Answer: The left-hand badge was the official badge of the Rangers from July 1957 to October 1962. Called the “blue bottle cap badge,” the solid, “modernized” design was universally reviled. The right-hand badge is a fake. According to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, “No genuine Texas Ranger badges are known to exist with ‘Frontier Battalion’ engraved on them.”

Set 4

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

©TRHFM, Waco, TX

Answer: The badge on the right, called the “wagon wheel badge,” has been the official Texas Ranger badge since October 1962. Each is made from a Mexican five-peso silver coin. The badge on the left is a “fantasy badge.” According to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, the most common designation on such badges is “Co. A.”

How did you do? Don’t feel badly if you couldn’t tell the legitimate badges from the fakes. Texas Ranger badges are a hot commodity in the collectibles market. The problem? The vast majority of items marketed as genuine Texas Ranger badges are reproductions, facsimiles, or toys. Very few legitimate badges exist outside museums and family collections, and those that do hardly ever are sold. There’s a very good reason for that: Manufacturing, possessing, or selling Texas Ranger insignia, even fakes that are “deceptively similar” to the real thing, can violate Texas law except in specific circumstances.

According to Byron A. Johnson, executive director of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum (the official historical center of the Texas Ranger law-enforcement agency), “Spurious badges and fraudulent representation or transactions connected with them date back to the 1950s and are increasing. We receive anywhere from 10 to 30 inquiries a month on badges, the majority connected with sales on eBay.”

For more information about the Texas Rangers—including the history of the organization, biographical sketches of individual Rangers, and all kinds of information about badges and other insignia—visit the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum online at TexasRanger.org. The museum and its staff have our utmost gratitude for their assistance with this post.

To see how fictional Texas Ranger Grant Stafford and his heroine, Julia Courtland, get themselves out of one heckuva mess involving outlaws, lawmen, and a stagecoach wreck, read “Guarding Her Heart” in Hearts and Spurs. The collection of nine Valentine’s Day tales by nine western romance authors is available in print and ebook at your favorite online bookstore.