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

Albert Armendariz, Sr., United States Courthouse

Albert Armendariz, Sr., United States Courthouse, located at ...

El Paso United States Courthouse

El Paso United States Courthouse in 511 E San Antonio Ave El ...

El Paso United States Courthouse

El Paso United States Courthouse in 511 E San Antonio Ave El ...

El Paso United States Courthouse

El Paso United States Courthouse in 511 E San Antonio Ave El ...

Plaza Theater

Plaza Theater in 125 pioneer plaza, El Paso, TX 79901

Plaza Theatre

Plaza Theatre in 125 pioneer plaza, El Paso, TX 79901

Sun Metro Downtown Transfer Center

Sun Metro Downtown Transfer Center in 601 S Santa Fe St, El ...

El Paso Public Library Main Branch

El Paso Public Library Main Branch in 501 N Oregon St El Paso, ...

El Paso Public Library Main Branch

El Paso Public Library Main Branch in 501 N Oregon St El Paso, ...

Plaza Hotel

Built in 1930 on the site of the historic Sheldon Hotel ...

Plaza Hotel & 1 Texas Tower - El Paso, Texas

The Plaza Hotel was constructed on the site of the Sheldon ...

Plaza Hotel

Built in 1930 on the site of the historic Sheldon Hotel ...

O. T. Bassett tower

The O. T. Bassett Tower is an Art Deco skyscraper located at 303 ...

El Paso Museum of Art

museum of art 1 Arts Festival Plz, El Paso, TX 79901

El Paso Museum of Art

museum of art 1 Arts Festival Plz, El Paso, TX 79901

Museum of Art

Founded in 1959, the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) is a major ...

El Paso Museum of History

El Paso Museum of History location -- 510 N. Santa Fe Street, El ...

El Paso Museum of History

museum of history in 510 N. Santa Fe Street El Paso, TX 79901

El Paso Museum of History

museum of history in 510 N. Santa Fe Street El Paso, TX 79901

El Paso Museum of History

museum of history in 510 N. Santa Fe Street El Paso, TX 79901

Kress Building

The Kress building, perhaps the funkiest building downtown and a ...

IRS Office El Paso TX

IRS Office El Paso TX, 700 E. San Antonio. El Paso, TX 79901.

Vikki Carr In 2009, El Paso, Texas

The singer and actress Vikki Carr, who is actually born in El ...

home.search_collection