Texas Rangers

In November 1835, Texas lawmakers created a corps of Texas Rangers to guard the frontier between the Brazos and Trinity Rivers. During the Texas Revolution and republic era, the Rangers were used principally for protection against Native American raids. After serving for the Confederacy in the Civil War, the organization was restructured as state police and charged with the enforcement of unpopular Reconstruction laws. The beginning of the 20th century saw the Rangers involved in detective work, largely investigating cattle theft. The Mexican Revolution, World War I, oil booms, and prohibition made demands on the Texas Rangers, which they could not meet, and Ranger service was subsequently cut back to four companies of about 15 men. In 1935, the state legislature created the Texas Department of Public Safety and incorporated the Texas Rangers into the agency with statewide law enforcement jurisdiction.

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