Heritage, Fall 2006 Page: 6
39 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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By Kelly A. Rushing
There have been more books written about
Texas history than have been written about
the history of all the other states combined.
I know this is true because I heard J.P. Bryan,
founder of Torch Energy and Texana collector
extraordinaire, make this statement in
his presentation at the gala fundraiser for
the Texas State Historical Association earlier
this year. I am embarrassed to admit that for
the first time I recently read a book about
the Texas Rangers. I've read a number of
books that included information about the
Rangers, but this one was specifically about
a ranger, Jack Hays. James Kimmins Greer's
book, Texas Ranger, Jack Hays in the Frontier
Southwest, is a quick and fascinating read. For
almost a century, every Texas Ranger wanted to
be "like Jack Hays." I know this is true because
T.R. Fehrenbach, author of the seminal book
on Texas history, Lone Star, wrote it.
Suitably inspired by the stories of the legendary
John Coffee (Jack) Hays, I decided it
was appropriate to attend an annual fundraiser,
"Silver Stars & Six Guns," to learn
something about the Former Texas Rangers
Foundation. The annual event is held in
Kerrville and includes a Saturday night gala
emceed this year by Harris County Constable
Bill Bailey and featuring dinner, live
and silent auctions, and recording star Tracy
Byrd. Since I was traveling solo, I was especially
interested in the weekend golf tournament.
I was matched with another golfer, Joaquin,
who was also traveling alone. In spite of his
name, Joaquin, a former Ranger, was not Latino;
he was tall and looked like you would expect a
Texas Ranger to look Joaquin had also written a
book, One Ranger, that I had read, so I should
have known immediately who I was riding with
in the golf cart. But it took me a while to realize it
was Joaquin Jackson. Here was another man who
tells the truth, and his book is a captivating read
that needs a sequel.
The Former Texas Rangers Foundation
supports the mission of the Former Texas
Rangers Association, which was founded byRangers in 1897. The mission of this private
association is, in short, to preserve and perpetuate
the true history of the Texas Rangers.
This includes scholarship opportunities
for Ranger descendants, promoting various
forms of education for young and old, and
honoring the service of past Rangers. All of
this requires money, and the group has ambitious
plans that will require a good bit more.
The Texas Rangers History and Education
Center, as planned, will cost upwards of $8
million. It will contain a memorial honoring
Rangers killed in the line of duty, a living
history area, state-of-the-art educational exhibits,
a museum, an auditorium, a library,
and the necessary supporting administration
and service functions all on 15 acres outside
of Kerrville. When you add in the Former
Texas Rangers Association's partnership with
the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum in San
Antonio and the recent opening of the Texas
Rangers Museum there, one would think
the public's need for information and
support of the Texas Rangers would be
pretty well satisfied.
Not so. There is yet another organization
honoring and memorializing the Texas Rangers.
Texas is, after all, a big place. The Texas
Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco,
the state-designated official historical center
of the Rangers, has some pretty impressive
credentials of its own. Founded in 1968, the
group's primary mission is to disseminate
knowledge and inspire appreciation of theTexas Rangers. The fact that it is open 362 days
a year-every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas,
and New Year's-reflects something of a
Ranger work ethic. The City of Waco acts as
trustee for the state overseeing the museum and
hall of fame as official sites of the Texas Rangers.
The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
has an ambitious project of its own, similar
in scope to that of the Former Texas Rangers
Foundation. $2.1 million in state funding will
help the group build Company "F" Headquarters,
Ranger offices that occupy the same
grounds as the museum, and a multipurpose
public safety education center. One of the
more unique services of the Texas Ranger Hall
of Fame and Museum is their research center,
which offers a research library and a web site
that has a great deal of historical information
relating to the Texas Rangers. Do you think
there might be a Ranger in your ancestry?
You can know for sure by checking out the
group's web site, www.texasranger.org.
So, do we really need two organizations
that have similar programs and missions that
promote and honor the Texas Rangers? It
seems to me that these organizations compete
with one another to be the best, and
the public benefits. Most of the Rangers of
the past would be embarrassed by all the attention.
The Rangers in our history were,
for the most part, simple men-honorable,
brave, and competent. Sure, in the past 175
years, they were not all good. But enough of
them were beyond "just good"-so much so
that today people want to rub shoulders with
Rangers and hear their stories. Our heroes
are rarely as good as we think they were, but
we need them just the same. Without them
we wouldn't have young men and women
who would be inspired to wear the Ranger
badge. Yes, we do need both of these organizations
because we need heroes, and as I said,
Texas is a big place.
Send comments to Kelly Rushing, PO. Box
50314, Austin, TX78763.HERI TA GE * Fall 2006
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Fall 2006, periodical, Autumn 2006; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45367/m1/6/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.