January 2020
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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Texas Rangers in Pop Culture
Exhibit & Event
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The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is partnering with the Waco McLennan County Public Library to bring a new free exhibit to the public! The new exhibit
Texas Rangers in Pop Culture
is installed at the Central Library branch in Waco (1717 Austin Ave).
Texas Rangers in Pop Culture
focuses on famous Texas Rangers in radio, television and film, including the legendary Lone Ranger. The exhibit will be on display through February.
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Rachel Smith, Collections Assistant, installs artifacts from our pop culture collection into three exhibit cases at the Central Library branch.
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Public Program: January 11th, from 10AM-NOON, Central Library
Join us at the Waco Public Library Central branch for a program on the "Texas Rangers in Pop Culture!"
The Lone Ranger
and
Ranger Jim
are just the beginning.
You'll have a chance to learn about the history of the Texas Rangers and how they fit in pop culture, take a magical picture where you dress up and become a Ranger yourself, and design a page of your own Ranger comic book. We'll have fun for all ages, so tell everyone you know.
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The Waco Public Library also offers a “Museum Pass” program, which allows library cardholders free access to Waco museums, including the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Learn more about this free program here
:
https://www.waco-texas.com/
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Save the Dates of our Upcoming Events!
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January 11th
- Texas Rangers in Pop Culture!: Learn about the history of the Texas Rangers and how they fit in pop culture.
March 7th
- Spring Break Round Up: Come see Texas Ranger Reenactors and meet a Texas Ranger.
May 23rd-25th
- Military Appreciation Weekend: Members of the military can come to TRHFM for free and their families for discounted admission.
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June 6th
- Home on the Range: A chance to learn the skills necessary for early and modern Texas Rangers.*
*Tentative date
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I-35 Brazos Bridge Demolition Begins - Please Note
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Beginning in January, visitors heading south (from DFW) to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame on I-35 should look for Exit 335C—the Martin Luther King exit. The main bridges over the Brazos River are being replaced and traffic will be rerouted. The six-lane bridge, built in the 1960s, will be replaced by a new eight-lane bridge by late 2021.
In January, there will
be intermittent closures of University Parks Drive, where it crosses under I-35, so crews can safely reconstruct the mainlanes. Please continue to follow the frontage road to 4th/5th and u-turn when this happens.
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Discovering the Legend Documentary on the Sutton-Taylor Feud
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The latest
Discovering the Legend
documentary focuses on our exhibit,
The Sutton Collection: Feuds & Family
. This exhibit presents the story of the infamous Sutton-Taylor feud (
1868-1876)
, including its connection to the Texas Rangers. When William Sutton was killed during the feud in 1874, he left behind his then pregnant wife Laura. When Laura gave birth to a daughter, she named her William after her husband, affectionately calling her “Willie”. The exhibit goes on to explore the life of Laura and Willie in the aftermath of the feud.
The exhibit features photographs, artifacts, and archival materials from the Sutton Collection, including the Sutton family Bible, the mourning dress of Laura Sutton, and the travel trunk that was with William Sutton when he was killed. Among many other artifacts, the collection paints a picture of their family life and relationships in late 19th century Texas.
Here's your opportunity to virtually visit the exhibit,
The Sutton Collection: Feuds and Family
.
Please
click here
to watch Episode #34 of
Discovering the Legend: Sutton-Taylor Feud
.
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Discovering the Legend
is a series of TV programs about Texas Ranger history, artifacts and art, and modern Ranger duties. It is produced in cooperation with the Texas Rangers, City of Waco, historians, and donors. There are 34 episodes available at:
https://wccc.tv/program/discovering-the-legend/
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Please
click here
to read about the making of
The Sutton Collection: Feuds and Family
.
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Film and Television Requests
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Production companies seeking information about the Texas Rangers regularly contact the Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center and our Collections Division.
In June we received an email from Ms. Marianne Brower, researcher for filmmaker Martin Scorsese. The Scorsese team is adapting the book,
Killers of the Flower Moon
by David Grann, that examines the Osage Indian murders in northeast Oklahoma in the 1920s. It was a landmark investigation by the Bureau of Investigation that supported the creation of its successor, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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Leonardo DiCaprio may star as Texas Ranger Tom White in movie,
Killers of the Flower Moon
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The lead investigator for the Bureau was Agent Tom White, a former Texas Ranger, to be played by actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame provided records for Ranger White, his brothers Doc and Dudley White who had also been Texas Rangers, and for Ranger N.P. “Doc” Thomas. The film is currently listed as being in pre-production status, with Martin Scorsese tentatively set to direct. In addition to Leonardo DiCaprio being cast as Tom White, Robert De Niro is cast to play the part of William Hale, the villain of the story.
The expected theatrical release is January 2021.
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The prop department of the CBS television series
Blue Bloods
recently contacted the Museum’s Collection Department. An upcoming episode will feature a Texas Ranger character and the prop master for the series wanted to ensure that the Ranger badge and attire would be as accurate as possible.
Blue Bloods
, in its 10th season, focuses on a family of New York cops lead by Tom Selleck and airs on CBS on Friday nights.
We look forward to seeing the episode later this year.
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TRHFM Educational Outreach
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Education Programs Manager Audrey Ladd went to Hopewell Middle School on November 21st to present on Ranger History to the 7th grade students. Audrey gave six presentations that day and spoke to over 400 students and teachers.
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Audrey also visited Rapoport Academy for their annual Career Day. Rapoport Academy is a public charter school in Waco that focuses on preparing their students for college, career and life. Audrey spoke about her experience as a Museum Educator and gave the students an opportunity to try their hand at museum work in a fun artifact based activity.
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Remembering J. Fred. Bucy III
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We were saddened to learn of the passing of Mr. J. Fred Bucy III. Few persons have an appreciation of Texas history like Mr. Bucy, a donor who generously expressed it through support of the educational and preservation programs of the museum.
In 2017, he underwrote the restoration of an 1850s painting of Sam Houston, a portrait completed while Houston served as the first U.S. Senator from Texas. A treasure of the museum, the painting was in poor condition due to the passage of time. Now Sam Houston's favorite portrait will be available for future generations of Texans to enjoy.
In 2018, Mr. Bucy sponsored the purchase of six vintage Mexican gold 50 Peso coins.
Badge maker Kevin Johnson is hand-crafting five of the
coins into a set of Texas Ranger badges for the Museum's Collections. Mr. Bucy was immensely proud that he had ancestors here during the time of the Republic of Texas.
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His son, Joshua, carries on this pride and public service through a career in law enforcement.
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2019 was an exciting year at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Here are some of our highlights:
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- Began the "Texas Ranger Talks" summer programs with active and retired Texas Rangers
- Ranked #8 of the Top Western Museums in 2019 by True West Magazine
- The Houston Chronicle selected the Museum to be among their Top 40 Attractions in Texas
- 93% Very Good-to-Excellent Ranking on Trip Advisor
- Texas House of Representatives Resolution recognizing work on the Texas Ranger Bicentennial
- Produced Night at the Ranger Museum – a humorous feature for children and adults alike
- The Texas Ranger Bicentennial Publications program grew to 7 books
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- Opened the exhibit, The Sutton Collection: Feuds and Family
- Two Bicentennial commemorative firearms: America Remembers Model 1866 Carbine Rifle and Colt Single-Action Frontier Revolver
- Maintained record attendance numbers from 2018 despite I-35 construction
- Created 6 new Discovering the Legend episodes with Waco City Cable Channel
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In mid-July, photographer Robert Langham and his associate Dr. Loyd Sneed visited the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Together with the Collections Department, they selected notable firearms and artifacts from the collection to photograph for the Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) 2020 Calendar. If you bought one of the calendars last year, you may remember the photographs of the pistols, boots, spurs, and badges of such famous Texas Rangers as Frank Hamer and Jack Hays. We are pleased to work with the Texas State Rifle Association on this project again, and with the talented Mr. Langham.
The TSRA and the TRHFM have partnered together to create this collectible calendar featuring firearms and artifacts from the museum collections. It was distributed to 35,000 TSRA members. The Association graciously gave us a limited number to sell as a fundraiser for the Museum. $9.95 + Tax
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To shop more items available for purchase, please visit our
Gift Shop online
, or in person 9am to 4:30pm daily. You never have to pay admission to shop.
Sales from the Gift Shop benefit the preservation and education activities of the Museum. Please call (877) 750-8631 or email
[email protected]
to order. We ship worldwide. Thank you!
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Texas Ranger Bicentennial
TM
Partners Program
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Be part of the Texas Ranger Bicentennial! The Texas Rangers will commemorate their landmark 200th anniversary in 2023. 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. 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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Education Center
The following groups utilized the Education Center for programs in December:
Texas Department of Public Safety
City of Waco Tourism Forum
Texas Rangers
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 Christine Rothenbush, Marketing & Development Specialist
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