December 2018
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Newsletter
Sponsored by the City of Waco
Official State Historical Center of the Texas Rangers
Home of Texas Ranger Bicentennial 1823-2023
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Here is your opportunity to meet an active or retired Texas Ranger, learn about their remarkable service and heritage and leave with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Modeled on the popular
Astronaut Encounter
at the Kennedy Space Center
,
we are planning a series of informal
Texas Ranger Talks
on select Saturdays. The first two Saturdays will be held on December 8th and 15th with talks at 10:00AM and 2:00PM in the Hall of Fame. Each presentation will last approximately 30 minutes followed by 15 minutes for Q&A.
Presentations are included with regular admission to the museum.
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A Gift of Historic Technology from Leica Geosystems
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For more than 175 years the Texas Rangers have tested and implemented new, game changing technology. By the 1840s Anglo-European, Hispanic and Indian horseback skills and equipment were combined with Colt’s revolving pistols and rifles to create the Texas Ranger. In 1889 the Frontier Battalion Rangers employed dental records for identification. 1910 brought the first ‘high speed’ automobile pursuit—of a horse and buggy—by a Ranger, and in the 1920s the Rangers borrowed flying machines to spot illegal stills from the air and search for bank robbers. The 1930s brought the first appearance of primitive two-way radios mounted in cars.
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In 2011 the Texas Rangers began applying state-of-the-art land surveying technology to criminal investigations. They borrowed a Leica Geosystems ScanStation C10 Laser Scanner which creates a permanent 360° digital photographic image and maps millions of laser data points to millimeter accuracy. This enables a single Ranger to make a precision 3D map of a crime scene in minutes. Before, a forensics team spent hours or days doing the same work with cameras and tape measures. Headquarters Ranger Lt. Troy Wilson states, “crime scenes can be complex, and the ScanStation provides prosecutors and juries with an easily understood depiction with unprecedented accuracy.” The results are so impressive that law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. are using them.
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The Texas Rangers are now equipped with twelve advanced model Leica scanners which have proven invaluable in complex criminal investigations. They recorded the 2014 Ft. Hood shooting crime scene for the US Army, the murder of five Dallas PD officers in 2016, the Sutherland Springs Church shooting in 2017, and the Austin bombings in 2018 among many others.
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Texas Rangers utilize a Leica scanner following the Sutherland Springs Church shooting in 2017.
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These laser scanners represent new and historic law enforcement technology, so we approached the Texas Rangers and Leica Geosystems about the possibility of acquiring an example of the C10 model first tested by the Rangers. It was quite a request given its value, but Leica Geosystems appreciates history and education. The roots of the company date back to 1819—just before the formation of the Texas Rangers.
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Leica Geosystems has generously presented the museum with a fully restored ScanStation C10 and tripod. Important now, it is a priceless gift of history for future generations. We are grateful to Chuck Coiner and Tony Grissim of the Leica Geosystems Public Safety Group (former land surveyors) who made this possible. We are also indebted to Texas Rangers Lt. James Thomas of Co. F, Ranger Philip Kemp, of Co. E, and HQ Lt. Troy Wilson who facilitated contact with Leica and educated us about law enforcement uses scanning technology. The laser scanner will be displayed in 2019.
Many of the first Texas Rangers were surveyors and they mapped much of early Texas. Almost two centuries later the tradition continues in ways the early Rangers could never have imagined.
Please
click here
to watch a short video on how the C10 scanner maps out crime scenes.
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The Ranger Ideal Volume 2: Texas Rangers in the Hall of Fame, 1874-1930
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In
The Ranger Ideal Volume 2: Texas Rangers in the Hall of Fame, 1874-1930
, Darren L. Ivey presents the twelve inductees who served Texas in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Ivey begins with John B. Jones, who directed his Rangers from state troops to professional lawmen; then covers Leander H. McNelly, John B. Armstrong, James B. Gillett, Jesse Lee Hall, George W. Baylor, Bryan Marsh, and Ira Aten—the men who were responsible for some of the Rangers’ most legendary feats.
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Ivey concludes with James A. Brooks, William J. McDonald, John R. Hughes, and John H. Rogers, the “Four Great Captains” who guided the Texas Rangers into the twentieth century.
The Ranger Ideal
presents the true stories of these intrepid men who fought to tame a land with gallantry, grit, and guns. It is the fourth book to be recognized by the official State seal, as an official publication of the 1823-2023 Texas Ranger Bicentennial™. Hardcover. $45.00 + Tax
Both Vol. 2 and Vol. 1 are available for purchase in
the Museum Gift Shop
. Vol. 3 is scheduled for publication in 2020.
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Dr. Tony Sapienza Collection
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A selection of artifacts from the Sapienza Collection has been installed in the entrance lobby of the museum. Dr. Tony Sapienza of New Jersey has generously lent us outstanding Ranger-related items from his personal collection. These include original letters from legendary Texas Ranger Captain John R. Hughes, a Bowie knife that once belonged to Ranger Maurice Moore and an 1839 receipt of goods for use by the Rangers on the frontier.
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“There are so many interesting artifacts in this exhibit” said Collections Assistant, Rachel Smith. “One of my favorite artifacts is the John S. 'RIP' Ford signed letter from 1861. It gives a rare firsthand glimpse into what was going on along the Texas-Mexico border at that time.”
We are excited to share this variety of noteworthy artifacts with our visitors, and hope the exhibit will whet your appetite for more exhibits of the Sapienza collection to come.
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Hopewell Middle School
On November 15th, Education Programs Manager Audrey Ladd went to Round Rock to talk to 350 7th graders at Hopewell Middle School about the history of the Texas Rangers.
The presentation included examples of the various tools that the Texas Rangers have used over the years to help students connect with Ranger history. This is the 3rd year we have been invited to Hopewell, and we are looking forward to many more!
Killeen Area Heritage Association
Museum Director Byron Johnson and Texas Ranger Lt. Chris Clark of Midland, Co. E, went down to Killeen on November 9th to speak with the Killeen Area Heritage Association on the history of the Texas Rangers, modern duties and the upcoming Texas Ranger Bicentennial.
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Texas Ranger Bicentennial
TM
Partners Program
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The Texas Rangers are a Texas Legend and an American Heritage™. They will commemorate their landmark 200th anniversary in 2023.
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We are seeking $100.00 individual and family contributors to help safeguard this Texas and American Heritage™ for future generations. With a $100 contribution, you will receive:
- A limited-edition enameled bronze pin featuring the official Texas Ranger Bicentennial™ seal
- A certificate signed by an active or distinguished retired Texas Ranger
- Your name or family name on the online roster of Bicentennial Partners™
- A one-time-use family admission ticket (admits 4) to the Museum.
$90 of the contribution qualifies as a charitable contribution for Federal Income Tax purposes. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame is a 170(c) government-owned nonprofit.
Please
click here
to learn more about the program.
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Official Texas Rangers Bicentennial Pin
Trademarked by the Texas Dept. of Public Safety
Designed by the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
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Texas DPS Inspiring Women Leaders Conference
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In November, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame hosted a Texas Department of Public Safety conference: "Inspiring Women Leaders Conference." More than 250 officers and employees learned about topics from health and safety to leadership in law enforcement. The Hall of Fame and Museum serves not only as an historical center, but is privileged to provide facilities for training and regional conferences involving the Texas Rangers and Texas DPS.
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Texas DPS Launches New Regional Facebook, Twitter Accounts
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The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced the launch of seven regional social media accounts, including North Texas, Southeast Texas, South Texas, West Texas, Northwest Texas, Central Texas and the Capitol Region.
“With a state as diverse and spread out as Texas, it’s important for DPS to continually seek ways to share information and connect with the Texans we proudly protect and serve,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Each DPS region is unique, and we look forward to using these regional social media accounts to highlight the work of the department in those areas and bolster our ties with communities throughout Texas.”
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Each of the new Facebook and Twitter accounts for the seven different DPS regions will provide tailored information, including public safety news, helpful tips, department activities and accomplishments, and community involvement.
Follow the DPS regional accounts today:
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Education Center
The following groups utilized the Education Center for programs in November:
Texas DPS Inspiring Women Leaders Conference
National Rural Letter Carriers Association
NAACP
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Save $1.00 off regular adult admission for up to two adults. Coupon not valid on discounted senior or military admission. No cash value.
The museum is open 9am to 5pm with the last guest admitted at 4:30pm. The museum is located off I-35 and University Parks Drive in Waco, Texas. For more information, call (254) 750-8631 or visit
www.texasranger.org
.
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Newsletter Compiled by Audrey Ladd, Education Programs Manager
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