Arizona Rangers

The Arizona Rangers was a law enforcement agency in Arizona, modeled on the Texas Rangers, created by the Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1901. Created to deal with infestations of outlaws, especially rustlers, in the sparsely populated Territory of Arizona, especially along the Mexican border, the Rangers were an elite, well-trained, and secretive agency mounted on the best horses money could buy and well equipped with modern weapons at State expense. They were very effective in apprehending members of outlaw bands, often surprising them by descending on them without warning.

One company was authorized to consist of a captain, a sergeant and not more than 12 privates. In 1903 the authorized force was increased to 26. On February 15, 1909 the act establishing the Arizona Rangers was repealed. During the 7 and 1/2 years of its existence 107 men served as Rangers. The men who served in the Rangers, many of them veterans of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders were expert horsemen, trackers and marksmen. They were widely publicized and conspicuous, sporting their badges boldly, well armed and distinctive. Their disbandment is said to have been politically motivated by pressure from conventional law enforcement in the persons of the county sheriffs of the Arizona counties.

In addition to dealing with rustlers and other outlaws they were called on to deal with several large strikes by Mexican workers at mines in Arizona (and with the reluctant, even forced, cooperation of the Mexican authorities) in Mexico.

The analogous agency in the Territory of New Mexico, organized in 1905 was called the New Mexico Mounted Police. Across the Mexican border in northern Sonora a similar band of men, the rurales, also known as the Cordada, was commanded by a Russian, Colonel Emilio Kosterlitsky who cooperated closely with the Rangers

The first Captain of the Arizona Rangers was Burton C. Mossman of Bisbee, Arizona who had previously as manager of the 2 million acre (8,000 km²) Aztec Land and Cattle Co,, also called the "Hash Knife outfit", in northern Arizona near Holbrook and Winslow had some success in controlling rustling of his company's cattle. In July, 1902 after successfully recruiting and organizing the Rangers, Mossman resigned, returning to the cattle business and was replaced by Thomas H. Rynning. The third and last commander of the Arizona Rangers was Harry C. Wheeler.

In general the men of the Arizona Rangers were extremely capable and honorable men who exploits were extensively reported by the newspapers of the day. Many of these reports are collected in the book, The Arizona Rangers edited by Joseph Miller. A tale of at least one bad apple, Sergeant Jeff Kidder, who while blind drunk, shot it out with Mexican police in Naco, Sonora is also recorded as is the interesting tale of Manuel Sarabia, a Mexican revolutionary.

The Arizona Rangers had been preceded by ephemeral organization of the Arizona Territorial Rangers in 1860 (disbanded when its members joined the Confederate Army) and in 1882 (never funded by Congress). There is voluntary service organization organized in 1957 called the Arizona Rangers with a website at http://www.azrangers.us/ the modern Arizona Rangers are recognized by the State of Arizona as a auxiliary police. The Arizona Territorial Rangers Reenactment Group (headquartered in Netcong, New Jersey) is a historical reenactment group. Another Arizona Rangers, in Norway, is part of,

Badges of the Arizona Rangers which are described as being of solid silver, lettered in blue enamel with engravings etched in blue are a valuable.

For most the only reference they have ever encountered to the Arizona Rangers was in the song, "Big Iron", in Western singer Marty Robbins album Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs.

Further reading

• Edited by Joseph Miller, The Arizona Rangers, Hastings House, 1975, hardcover, 268 pages, ISBN 0803803532

External links

• History page Arizona Department of Public Safety website (http://www.dps.state.az.us/about/history/default.asp)
• History page modern Arizona Rangers, a few historical photos (http://www.azrangers.us/history.html)
• Lyrics to Big Iron (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/robbins-marty/big-iron-11880.html)

References

• Adapted from the Wikinfo article, "Arizona Rangers" http://www.internet-encyclopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Arizona_Rangers March 6, 2004