January 2019
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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Our service to a Texas Legend and an American Heritage™ is made possible by the dedication of 15 staff and the support of benefactors, artifact donors, volunteers, Texas Rangers/Texas DPS and the City of Waco. Here are the 2018 highlights:
- Attendance: 96,491 persons visited, the best attendance on record since the doors opened 50 years ago. Over 4 million persons have visited in total, more than the individual populations of 38 US States and territories.
- Tourism Rankings: 93% of guests on TripAdvisor rated their experience very good-to-excellent awarding 4.5 of 5 stars. ThreeBestRated, a tourism “Michelin Guide,” selected it as one of the three top “Places to See” in Waco for 2018.
- Educational Services: The Education division welcomed more than 20,000 school children, including 5,000 from Dallas - Ft. Worth Education in Action which takes 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades on one-day, TEKS-based, Discover Texas Field Trips. A Texas Ranger Talks program began providing opportunities for the public to meet serving and retired Texas Rangers.
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- Internet: A new web site was created at www.texasranger.org and worldwide visitors accessed almost 400,000 pages of historical content. The countries who accessed the site the most were US, Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Brazil.
- Artifact Donations, Major Loans and Exhibits: Many gifts of artifacts and artwork were graciously donated to the permanent collections, including:
- Five historic 50-Peso gold coins from the Mr. J. Fred Bucy III family will make possible a complete current set of Texas Ranger badges for the Bicentennial. Mr. Kevin Johnson, master craftsman who produces the badges for the Texas Rangers, is donating 140+ hours of work.
- Mr. Rudolph W. Gleichman donated a landmark Bowie knife attributed to James Bowie’s brother, Rezin P. Bowie, that Rezin presented to Texas Ranger Captain William Y. Lacey in the 1840s.
- Leica Geosystems presented a restored crime scene Laser scanner, the first model used by the Texas Rangers.
- Dr. Tony Sapienza loaned a collection of very important 19th and early 20th century historic photographs and documents related to Jack Hays, Sam Walker, Frank Hamer and others.
- Tobin and Anne Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center: Receives 2,500 to 3,000 research requests a year from genealogists, writers, teachers and film/television producers. Notable requests were: material for a Netflix docudrama The Highwayman, photos for the University of Texas history website, information for a Discovery Channel documentary and photographs for a Dallas Holocaust Museum exhibit.
- Community Service: The Mitchell Education Center served area community groups, agencies and the Texas Rangers/Texas DPS for 96 days. Guests have included more than 200 organizations such as Texas DPS and the Texas Rangers, local foundations, Baylor School of Education, TXDOT, Waco Center for Youth, Head Start, McLennan County Historical Commission and the NAACP.
- Rentals & Training: Knox Center served 119 days for banquets, events, Texas Rangers/Texas DPS training sessions and Baylor University home game parties.
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- Facilities Upgrades: A new admissions desk, entrance sign, and fire alarm system were installed, and the exterior of the building was repaired and repainted.
- Publications: Two titles were published in the Texas Ranger Bicentennial™ Publications Program—Vol. 2 of The Ranger Ideal: Biographies of Rangers in the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame 1874-1930 by Darren L. Ivey and Old Riot, New Ranger: Captain Jack Dean, Texas Ranger and U.S. Marshal by Bob Alexander. Three other titles were granted Bicentennial certification bringing the total to eight volumes.
- Calendar: The Texas Rifle Association issued their 2019 Centennial Calendar to 30,000 members featuring firearms from the museum collections.
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The museum was very excited to debut our new program
Texas Ranger Talks
, based on the Kennedy Space Center's
Astronaut Encounter.
On December 8
th
, retired Ranger Captain Richard Sweaney came to talk to our visitors about his over twenty years spent as a Texas Ranger. On December 15
th
, Texas Ranger Jake Burson shared his current experience as a Ranger and his specialized training. Not only did the Rangers give two presentations, they also graciously sat down to record oral histories, which will be available to read on the website soon.
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Above:
Retired Captain Richard Sweaney
Below:
Texas Ranger Jake Burson, Co. "F"
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If you missed out on this month’s
Texas Ranger Talks
, don’t worry! Our next one will coincide with Spring Break Round Up on March 9
th
and we will be having the Rangers come speak on select Saturdays during the summer.
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TRHFM Recognized by Travel Sites
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For 50 years the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame has welcomed visitors from around the world. Two international travel sites,
TripAdvisor.com
and
ThreeBestRated.com,
help us evaluate how we are doing and what to improve.
TripAdvisor
collects visitor comments and rankings, awarding stars and certificates of excellence where merited. In 2018, 90+% of our guests rated their experience very good-to-excellent by
leaving comments here
and awarding 4.5 of 5 stars.
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ThreeBestRated
is an international “Michelin Guide” that visits area business and attractions in cities from Germany to the US to Australia selecting the three best “Places to See” in each one. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, Cameron Park Zoo and Waco Mammoth Site National Monument all made the
Waco list for 2018
. We are grateful to our visitors and hope to serve for another 50 years.
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Collector's Edition of
True West Magazine
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The January issue of
True West Magazine
is a Collector's Edition that features the best Texas Rangers in fact and fiction. Utilizing our photographic archive at the Tobin and Anne Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center,
True West
created a 24-page spread featuring articles such as:
- The Best of the Texas Rangers in Photos
- The Best of the Texas Rangers in Fiction
- The Best Books About the Texas Rangers
- A Long and Twisted Trail
- Overkill!: Bonnie & Clyde vs Frank Hamer & his Posse
- The Man Who Redeemed the Hamer Name
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Go to your nearest bookstore to pick up your copy of
True West
today!
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Texas Ranger Chatfield and Family Visits Museum
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We were very happy to welcome Ranger Jimmy Chatfield and his family to the museum this month. They visited all the way from Laredo, Texas where he is stationed with Company "D". He was accompanied by his wife Natalie and their three children, Teagan, Truitt, and Tinley.
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TRHFM Board Appointments:
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The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum welcomes three new members to its advisory and development board.
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Don G. Adams
is a municipal judge who resides in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. A graduate of Baylor Business and Law Schools, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1968 and served two terms. He then was elected to the state Senate, became President
Pro Tempore
and served as acting Governor. He was instrumental in creation of the first Texas Open Records Act and worked on reformation of the Legislature’s ethics requirements. Judge Adams later served as chief legal counsel to Gov. Dolph Briscoe.
Claude R. Lindsey
is a real estate developer and President of Lindsey Construction Company in Waco for four decades. A Baylor benefactor, his family has supported numerous historic, social and arts initiatives such as: Historic Waco Foundation, Meals on Wheels, Texas Sports Hall of Fame and Martin Museum of Art.
Joseph “Clint” Lynch
of Waco is the General Manager of the historic Oakwood Cemetery. He holds a degree in history and political science from Sam Houston State. He has served as the historian for the Texas State Cemetery in Austin and in the management of the Texas State Veteran’s Cemetery system. He is a member of the McLennan County Historical Commission and Historic Waco Foundation board.
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In Memoriam: R. William Warren
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We are sad to note the passing of friend, Board Chairman and benefactor R. William Warren (1933-2018). Bill was a lifelong admirer of the Texas Rangers and their history. As Chairman (2002-2008) he led Board efforts to build a new Texas Rangers Co. "F" Headquarters and Education Center, renovate the John Knox Center banquet hall, and complete the Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center. He and wife Sara Fentress are forever part of the preservation of Texas Ranger history.
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Gift Shop Feature: Flannel Shirts
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New flannel long-sleeve, snap-down shirts with a front pocket. Available in sizes Small – 2Xlarge. These shirts feature the "One Riot - One Ranger" slogan, stylized Texas Ranger badge and "Est 1823" date on the back. They are 100% cotton and come in two colorways: Red Plaid and Blue Plaid. $43.95 + 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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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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Education Center
The following groups utilized the Education Center for programs in December:
Texas Rangers
Texas DPS Highway Patrol - Crash Reconstruction Team
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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