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

Holocaust Museum visit

Andress High students take a visit to the Holocaust Museum

Holocaust Museum

US History students explore the Holocaust Museum.

Blue Hour

Blue hour - cloudy night sky beaming down on a calm beautiful ...

Take me out to the ball game

A beautiful evening at my first Chihuahua's game!

Magoffin Home - El Paso, Texas

Andress High School students at the Magoffin Home tour in El ...

Chihuahuas warming up for first day game of 2015

A beautiful day to be at the ballpark.

Tom Lea, A Retrospective - Tom Lea Exhibit

Tom Lea, A Retrospective Exhibit

A great time at the first day of the Chihuahuas for 2015

April 14,2015 Chihuahuas against Remo. Unfortunately, we lost ...

Teresa Aguirre, former Farah employee

Teresa Aguirre, 81, bends down to kiss the Singer 241-12 ...

Jim Farah autographing the book about his father

Jim Farah autographing the book, " Willie Farah the ...

Jim Farah and City Representative Emma Acosta

Farah and City Representative Emma Acosta holding the City ...

H&H Car Wash and Coffeeshop

H&H car wash and coffeeshop is popular for its nice little ...

H&H Car Wash and Coffeeshop

H&H car wash and coffeeshop is popular for its nice little ...

H&H Car Wash and Coffeeshop

H&H car wash and coffeeshop is popular for its nice little ...

Opening of Plaza Theater in 1930

A huge crowd accompanied the opening of the Plaza Theater on ...

Opening of Plaza Theater - 1930

A huge crowd accompanied the opening of the Plaza Theater on ...

San Antonio Street Around 1900

The image shows San Antonio Street, El Paso, Texas probably in ...

El Paso Street in 1940s - El Paso, Texas

The image shows El Paso Street in the 1940s. To the right, the ...

Farah Manufacturing Today: Perry Ellis

Farah Manufacturing Today: Perry Ellis

Looking at the Farah Manufacturing Timeline

Looking at the Farah Manufacturing Timeline: Inside of the ...

Farah Manufacturing Reuion 2010

More than 500 former Farah Manufacturing employees and their ...

Tom Lea Jr. and Tom Lea Sr. - 1913

Tom Lea Jr. and Tom Lea Sr. El Paso, ca.1913.

El Paso Circa

El Paso Circa, 1915

home.search_collection