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

El Paso Streetcar Graphics

El Paso Streetcar: Color schemes for the Presidents’ ...

El Paso Streetcar Graphics

El Paso Streetcar: Color schemes for the Presidents’ ...

El Paso Streetcar Graphics

El Paso Streetcar: Color schemes for the Presidents’ ...

El Paso Streetcar Graphics

El Paso Streetcar: Color schemes for the Presidents’ ...

El Paso Streetcar Graphics

El Paso Streetcar: Color schemes for the Presidents’ ...

El Paso Streetcar Graphics

El Paso Streetcar: El Paso Streetcar shirts.

Pioneer Plaza, El Paso, Texas circa 1915

Photo of Pioneer Plaza, shot looking down from a rooftop. ...

El Paso Residence - El Paso, Texas

Unidentified residence on Fort Boulevard Street. The residence ...

Swift and Company Building - El Paso, Texas circa 1905

The Swift and Company located at 217-219 S. Kansas, J.S. ...

Providence Hospital - El Paso, Texas

Photo of Providence Hospital located at 617 N. Santa Fe. ...

El Paso High School - El Paso, Texas

A group of individuals, perhaps staff, standing in front of the ...

The El Paso Bakery - El Paso, Texas

The El Paso Bakery located at 409 N. Oregon,George W. Roberts, ...

Piano Box Buggy - El Paso, Texas

A man sitting in an early 20th century buggy. From its ...

Masonic Hospital - El Paso, Texas

El Paso Masonic Hospital. H.T. Ponsford president, E.W. Kayser ...

R. R. Jones Stadium was built in 1916

It overlooks central El Paso and its border with Ciudad Juarez, ...

Plaza Theater

Originally built in the 1930s, the Plaza theater in downtown El ...

El Paso Streetcar Arrival

El Paso Streetcar: Arrival of El Paso Streetcar #1506 in Central ...

El Paso Streetcar Arrival, 2018

El Paso Streetcar: Arrival of El Paso Streetcar #1506 in Central ...

El Paso Streetcar Arrival

El Paso Streetcar: Arrival of El Paso Streetcar #1506 in Central ...

El Paso Streetcar Arrival

El Paso Streetcar: Arrival of El Paso Streetcar #1506 in Central ...

El Paso Streetcar Arrival

El Paso Streetcar: Arrival of El Paso Streetcar #1506 in Central ...

El Paso Streetcar Arrival

El Paso Streetcar: Arrival of El Paso Streetcar #1506 in Central ...

El Paso Streetcar Arrival

El Paso Streetcar: Arrival of El Paso Streetcar #1506 in Central ...

home.search_collection