History of the Texas Rangers

Allen Public Library Presents ... History of the Texas Rangers
July 25, 2013
Midwestern State University history professor Michael Collins talks about the history of the Texas Rangers as one of the most respected law enforcement units in American history. Collins is the author of Texas Devils: Rangers and Regulars on the Lower Rio Grande, 1846-1861 and That Damned Cowboy: Theodore Roosevelt and the American West, 1883-1898.
Collins discusses his upcoming book on the "skinning wars" in South Texas in the 1870s. A Crooked River: Rustlers, Rangers and Regulars on the Lower Rio Grande (1863-1877) will tell how ranchers raided properties, killed cattle and took the hide.

[@murderfancier2640]

It's Dr. Collins!!! My favorite teacher ever. Ever! I loved his classes in college and took everyone I could, even a MWF at 8:00 am! That's devotion. I never knew I was interested in history until his class because I had always had boring coaches "teaching" it. Dr. Collins's classes were like getting to sit and listen to a knowledgeable storyteller. He wove the tale with some trivia, what you thought you knew info, some funny bits, and the when you think you are getting all settled in to this delightful story time , he throws in some hard hitting truths that you may not like, agree with, or even want to hear, but, as he says "Its everyone's history." It's been over 20 years, golly! since those days, but listening to him, I still feel compelled to take notes and wonder if this will be on the exam? Did I turn in my blue book? Awesome job Dr. Collins! You still rock!! --Shaundra Collins (no relation)

[@tannerjagger1445]

I realize I'm quite randomly asking but does anyone know a good place to watch new movies online?

[@huxleymitchell5407]

@Tanner Jagger Flixportal =)

[@tannerjagger1445]

@Huxley Mitchell Thanks, signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :) I really appreciate it !

[@huxleymitchell5407]

@Tanner Jagger You are welcome =)

[@Robert31352]

In really enjoyed this. I have a great interest in the Texas Rangers for many reasons. Of those, and my main reason, is that my five times great grandfather was a Texas Ranger from Milam County Texas. He was killed in an Indian skirmish on the Brazos River in Young county. In that skirmish, he was the only casualty. He was buried by his brother and nephew who was in the same company. His unmarked grave is lost to history. The state placed a memorial in the Fort Belknap Cemetery, which is only a couple of miles from the skirmish location, to commemorate his service. His name was Abram Trigg Smith. He was born in 1798 and died in the service of the Republic of Texas in August 5, 1841. He had only been a Ranger for a few days.

[@rogercoleman8515]

My great grandfather was George Coleman.

[@carlvieira9649]

Almost one year ago...and now im watchin this video and i found your statement about your ancestor... fella. It was a great one.....your words full of Pride and feelings in it. Your grandpa was a great man and of course a great Ranger...even for a few days only. Howdy from Dallas.

[@lauravillarreal8921]

Great post..I'm sorry for your loss but glad to hear there is a memorial in his honor.

[@JMarieThesisPodcast]

Thank you for such a great lecture... those shorts you told had me on the edge of my seat especially the final one!! Great work

[@jimivy6019]

I kind of wish we had a Leander McNelly we could send to Washington, D.C today.

[@trusailietazperlinski4717]

I will say I agree that being sworn in with that police department was something they could do while i was there, but when i left they likely fell short. Thats why I silently mentioned it before moving to the next state.

[@louisdoss5853]

Very good information and very well presented. I really enjoyed this presentation.

[@WesProphecy2032]

I got a bunch of old west negatives of Texas Rangers and outlaws that Noah Rose took in the early 1900s. I inherited the box of negatives back in 2010.

[@WesProphecy2032]

I thought about just framing the famous ones. They're nitrate negatives about 5x7 in size. I had a glass one but it was shattered.

[@johnmcclellan4791]

Wes Karcher my grandfather James d McClellan was a Texas ranger in 1919 his nickname was little MAC .lived in El Paso al his life he was also in the El Paso police department

[@captaincrunch72]

@@WesProphecy2032 Why would you keep such amazing history for yourself ?? Allow them to be shown in public at a museum..

[@hudsontoo1212]

I truly hope you’ll donate or sell them to the museum. My great-Great uncle Alonzo Van Oden is the man seated in the middle of the opening picture. He wrote a beautiful diary and may be in some of those pictures. We’d all love to see them- I’m literally researching my family history as I write this and every story I ever heard is even more FASCINATING than my family had even told me. Hope you’ll consider giving them to the public so people like me can know more about their own people. :) It’s soooooo important to keep the history alive.

[@Max-zr7hr]

If you scan them you can invert them on the computer and see the actual image if you haven't already.

[@chriscollins3840]

Looking forward to reading your books. My grandfather William Dunn Colllins grandfather was Cpt. James Dunn.

[@s.c7639]

A most invigorating report. Muchas gracias.

[@mikethomas4875]

I like this documentary.Great info.

[@TheRealSandorClegane]

This isn’t a documentary

[@texasguy5377]

@@TheRealSandorClegane omg shut up

[@trusailietazperlinski4717]

Keen.. autobiography vs biography. So obviously.. but your right not a documentary "per say"

[@rosabanda5316]

My grandfather was a vigilante for the Texas rangers... In the Rio grande...

[@markbriehl6860]

In memory of the late GEARGE HARRY WALKER US NAVY CB'S.

[@kaypalmer7485]

Great stuff

[@californicationendlesssumm2811]

Ranger is my last name and I want to move to Ranger Texas

[@jguz7799]

Excellent video! I'm trying to finish up a research paper on the Texas Rangers at Texas A&M and some of the stories told here by Professor Collins were great. I liked the Jesus Sandoval section the best. Are these primary sources such as the ones he used available online?

[@AllenCityTV]

The best primary or firsthand source recounting the role of Jesus Sandoval ("Old Casuse") remains George Durham, Taming the Nueces Strip: The Story of McNelly's Rangers. It is a memoir as Durham told the story years after the fact to a journalist named Clyde Wantland. Very colorful and graphic. I would consider the volume a classic today. Also valuable is Napoleon A. Jennings' account, A Texas Ranger. Jennings captures the spirit of it too, though his narrative is sometimes secondary rather than primary, despite being written in the first person. T. C. "Pidge" Robinson's letters to the newspaper, The Austin Daily Democratic Statesman, shed light on the subject as well. See Chuck Parson's two books on Lt. Robinson. I recently discovered too that one "Jesus Sandobal" was listed in Ranger James Gillett's Notebook as being wanted for murder in neighboring Maverick County in the year 1873. I believe this man was likely the same Jesus Sandoval. If so, Captain McNelly must have known this when he hired Sandoval as a "Scout" or more accurately spy and henchman the following year. Michael Collins

[@aaron2shine]

J Guz I'd like to inquire about Jesus Sandoval. I"m doing a family tree and and found that his my great great grandfather and I have stories about him from family members and I'm verifying as I go. So feel free to email me at [e-mail]

[@jguz7799]

AllenCityTV Thanks for this info, I will be looking into that volume.

[@hudsontoo1212]

Have you read Alonzo Van Oden’s Ranger Diary? He was my great- great uncle and the man seated left in the opening photo. I’d be interested in what you know about him. His writing and poetry is beautiful:)

[@StickySp00nz]

Anyone else here from Dr. Mitchell's class @TCC?

[@alondrarodriguez2178]

hey me too

[@joecascade5105]

Yup! I am trying to locate the photographic sources, the Professor used in chapter on Texas Rangers traveling with a Private Stable of PEG BOYS for themselves.

[@bi8968]

Thx goodness...no background music

[@stevevail9309]

Not much has changed on the river since then!

[@shpongle7322]

jack hayes was a total bad ass.

[@davidankeney7965]

I am reading a book by DOUG J. SWANSON. It is CULT OF GLORY and relates much of the same information.

[@cmartinez1903]

Much of Swanson's book was obtained from this speaker"s book.

[@richardlawson6668]

I got the same book from my brother . Very interesting.

[@markbriehl6860]

Cub Scout's/ Boy Scout's of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ( TROOP'S 234 AND 208 NORWALK HURON COUNTY OHIO).

[@markbriehl6860]

WE THE PEOPLE

[@kurthouse744]

We need Leander McNelly on the Texas border today. Like Patton and MacArthur in WWIl, it seems that when desperate times arise, heroes emerge to take care of the situation, like McNelly did in his time.

[@davidgarcia-jk6nt]

Mexicans in Texas called Compania Volantes were first Rangers. They showed the European Anglo’s how to become cowboys learn the real history.

[@markbriehl6860]

4296 ST. RT. 601 FORMOR LOCATION OF TOLL HOUSE FOR FARMERS TAKING CROP'S AND GOOD'S TO THE CANALS IN NORWALK AND MILAN HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES OHIO.

[@tadlovelace6787]

👍

[@markbriehl6860]

New service ( correction in spelling ).

[@markbriehl6860]

We need a lew service like the Texas rangers in Ohio to keep all aspects of law and order in check. I would appreciate me second amendment US CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT'S BACK IMMEDIATLY. I AM NOT A CRIMINAL AND MY LIFETIME CRIMINAL BACKROUND CHECK PAPERWORK PROVES THAT. THE WHOLE HALF TO THREE QUARTERS OF A PAGE THERE IS.

[@kennethlauer4735]

the Rangers went into mexico and stole cattle, herded them across the border and sold them. were do you think the Texas Cowboy came from?

[@carywest9256]

Vermont

[@skiddle28p97]

@socially conscious gamer both sides were doing that. Your argument is moot

[@ragtimegals]

@socially conscious gamer “socially conscious gamer” lmfao

[@eddievillasenor6306]

My name is Eddie my son always wanted to meet A Texas Ranger I live in Helotes Tx. Where can I take him to meet one for his birthday. He thinks that y'all are A baseball team March 25 is his birthday I want to meet A real Texas Ranger. His name is camrr and he is 8 years old.

[@giantgrowth4204]

Their office?

[@lauravillarreal8921]

Please call the Texas Rangers Museum in Waco and ask for the curator.

[@markbriehl6860]

WATER STREET A FORMOR CANAL IN NORWALK HURON COUNTY OHIO.

[@AntzLoks1314]

el-Choctaw-lord-de-CalifasMexicoAztlan ANTZ Holywater i Cali

[@abcdefghijklmno7384]

This video by this Dr is histirically incomplete and inaccurate.

[@garysams8615]

abcdefg hijklmno so buy the book, and point out the inaccuracies, oh wise one.

[@markbriehl6860]

RATTLE SNAKE CREEK NORWALK HURON COUNTY OHIO.

[@markbriehl6860]

VETERANS MEMORIAL LAKE PARK NORWALK HURON COUNTY OHIO.

[@The-Music-Archive]

Where are all the gay and trans rangers? this is bigotry, trans rights for rangers!

[@danielsaldana4663]

Lol . . Some of that sounds like BS . .

[@sc666666]

Just hoping to have more illegal alien language adds! 🤲🏻🤏🏻

[@rekoj1393]

Like english that you Euro-American gringos speak, the new arrivals, relatively speaking. 200-400 years on this side of the world, 3-4 generations and ya’ll really think you’re in control hahaha 200 years since ya’ll stole the northern Mexican territory… only 200 years and we’re back. Most of us never left. How does that make ya feel?

[@sc666666]

@@rekoj1393 Great! After thousands of years of sticks and mud look at what a couple of hundred years of Europeans have built. Oogabooga

[@sc666666]

@@rekoj1393 I never said we didn’t need landscapers and roofers.

[@rekoj1393]

@@sc666666 Europeans didn't build shit hahaha you forced some africans to do it for you ... and you still don't. You just complain about others ' taking your jobs' hahaha

[@rekoj1393]

​@@sc666666 This just shows you don't know history past 1776. Indigenous civilization and wisdom is far spiritually superior than the materialistic drive of the Euro-American. You don't understand this continent and you never will. You still think it's something to be owned, a "right".... that always lead to it's destruction. When it has always been a responsibility. Even you "white' folk would benefit from letting go of your pride, destruction disguised as progress, deluded Nationalism disguised as Patriotism, the idea of "ownership', and all the overexaggerated "triumphs' that cast a shadow on the true genocidal history of the "USA". Happy Gregorian new year, may your own country continue on its path to it's own plight. What a downfall are we witnessing, Cheers.

[@michaelritter6004]

👍