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

Richard M. Dudley, El Paso, TX, Mayor

Richard M. Dudley, engineer and El Paso mayor, was born near ...

Southern Lines Pacific

A brief history of El Paso Division - 1881 - 1923. Galveston, ...

The 24th Returning From Mexico

"24th---Just From Mexico" June 16, 1919" is the writing on the ...

Buffalo Soldiers - 10th Cavalry

Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment who were ...

David L. Carrasco Job Corps

The center opened in 1970 in downtown El Paso as the El Paso Job ...

Harry Mitchell's Poster

Image of a Harry Mitchell Poster.

Burros In Downtown El Paso, Texas

Burros carrying wood in Downtown El Paso, Texas.

Looking to the Franklin Mountains

The image shows some houses on the Eastside of El Paso, looking ...

Recognition Ceremony

Recognition ceremony in Downtown El Paso, Texas.

Woman With Flag

Woman holding flag with five stars in a circle.

El Paso Sunbowl Parade

El Paso Sunbowl Parade in El Paso, Texas.

Downtown El Paso

A image of downtown El Paso during the 1960's.

San Jacinto Plaza looking towards Franklins

There is a locomotive on Main Street, a fancy carriage in the ...

Downtown El Paso - 1883

El Paso in the year 1883: two years earlier the railroad had ...

The Kohlberg Family

The Kohlbergs were successful business entrepreneurs who made ...

Ernst Kohlberg

KOHLBERG, ERNST (1857–1910). Ernst Kohlberg, El Paso civic ...

Kate Moore - El Paso, Texas

Francis Marion Moore, Kate’s father, began to suffer from ...

Harry Mitchell

Photo: Owner of Harry Mitchell Brewing Company, located downtown ...

Harry Mitchell Brewing Company

In picture Henry T. Bowie, Mayor R.E. Sherman, Hubert Hanter, ...

Looking across Main to San Jacinto Plaza

This view of the Plaza looks across the railroad tracks on Main. ...

Lightbody Dry Goods

Lightbody Dry Goods Company in downtown El Paso, Texas.

San Jacinto Plaza looking across St. Louis (Mills)

This view from San Jacinto Plaza shows both the domed City Hall ...

Pacific Hotel

In 1889, the Pacific Hotel (and saloon) was located at the ...

home.search_collection