Capt. John Hughes-Texas Ranger - El Paso, Texas
Capitan John Hughes - Guardabosques de Texas - El Paso, Texas

Capt. John Hughes-Texas Ranger - El Paso, Texas

In 1886 several horses were stolen from his and neighboring ranches. Hughes trailed the men for several months, killing some of them and capturing the rest. He returned the stolen horses to their owners. His feat gained the attention of not only the outlaws but also the Texas Rangers. In July 1887, Hughes helped Texas Ranger Ira Aten track down and kill escaped murderer Judd Roberts. In August 1887, Hughes was persuaded to join the Texas Rangers. He had risen to the rank of sergeant in Company D Frontier Battalion by 1893. When their Captain, Frank Jones, was killed in June 1893, Hughes was promoted to captain of Company D. For most of his career, Hughes served along the border of southwest Texas. In 1901, when the Frontier Battalion was abolished and the State Rangers created, John Hughes was selected as one of the four Captains of the new companies. He served until his retirement in 1915. During the 28 years he was a Ranger, Hughes dealt with a wide variety of cases including thefts at the Shafter silver mines, cattle rustlers, horse thieves, murders and even the Maher-Fitzsimmons prize fight. He was known as "the border boss." John Hughes never married. He spent his retirement years prospecting and traveling by automobile. He was also involved in the banking industry, becoming chairman of the board and largest stockholder of the Citizens Industrial Bank of Austin, but he continued to live in El Paso. In 1940 John R. Hughes received the Certificate of Valor, an award commemorating the the bravery of peace officers. He moved to Austin to live with a niece, and on 3 June 1947, after living through the end of the frontier and two world wars he committed suicide at the age of 92. He was buried in the State Cemetery in Austin, Texas.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: El Paso County Historical Society

Reference ID: 013-1983-148

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

Three King's Cake

Three King's Cake (or bread) is closely allied with the ...

Battle of the Champions - 2015

Photograph--left to right--Yoly Hernandez, Monica Story, Faby ...

Dona` “Dj Crashhh” Pettway - 2015

Dona` “Dj Crashhh” Pettway hosted the "Battle Of The ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - took place at the Camino Real ...

Battle Of The Champions Video - 2015

Battle Of The Champions - 2015 - identity of the performer is ...

Han Family - 2012

Han Family - Bottom Row - left to right- Master Han, Joyce Han, ...

Proclamation Letter of Chaplain Sam Faraone

On January 12, 2016 The city Mayor Of El Paso Oscar Lesser ...

Chaplain Sam Faraone's Day

Image of Chaplain Faraone next to El Paso Mayor receiving the ...

Mexico presents the sculpture “Flame of Friendship”

Although national boundaries are an important point of ...

Celebration of the Day of the Dead

The Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso and El Paso Museum of ...

Family Photograph - 1984

Top row - Turi and Armando Zavala Bottom row - Veronica, ...

Quinceañera - 1993

Photograph - left to right- Josefina Oropeza, Veronica Zavala, ...

Insights is BACK!

After a few years Insights Science Center is back, and ready to ...

El Paso Senior "Temptations"

El Paso Senior "Temptations" perform for UTEP basket ball games ...

TEMPTATIONS

Motown group TEMPTATIONS appear and performed at Plaza Theatre ...

Gandara Family - 1956

Taken in El Paso, Texas - Watkins Studio Front Row: Rosa ...

home.search_collection