A 1901 Act authorized the Governor to Raise and Muster one Company of Arizona Rangers.
The rapid spread of civilization through the Southwest in the early 1900's made it increasingly difficult for the outlaw to accomplish his crimes in the first place and then to escape detection and apprehension.
While some of the criminals continued to operate as lone wolves and others work in bands, certain isolated areas of the Southwest - by reason of their location - tended to become gathering points for outlaws. Frequently there was a sort of loose organization among those who gathered in a given area and sometimes the organizational setup became so well formed as to constitute a gang.
It was for the purpose of ridding Arizona of such individual criminals and criminal gangs that the Arizona Rangers were created. Their objectives were to hunt down and capture the lone wolves and members of the gangs, to clear the areas in which criminals congregated and make them safe for settlement by law abiding citizens and to discourage the riffraff of the rest of the country to seek refuge in Arizona.
The Rangers also acted as a state police force to help enforce law when local authority was overtaxed. And they supplemented the activities of the then inadequate United States Border patrol.
The Three Ranger Captains
They were remarkable individuals. The three captains were examples to their Arizona ranger troops by their character and qualifications. They all were great marksmen and riders.
The first Captain was Burt Mossman, who was born in 1867 in Illinois, He was a farmer, a rancher, a cattleman, Rough Rider, he spoke Spanish and was a great storyteller. Mossman was commanding Captain from August 30, 1901 until August 1902. Rumors had it that Mossman did not want to work under a new governor.
The second Captain was Thomas Rynning, who had been enlisted in the Eight Cavalry, rode with General Miles, was a track and field competitor, also a Rough Rider as his predecessor, and had been building railroad bridges for Southern Pacific before joining the Arizona Rangers. Rynning started a thorough training program with the rangers. He resigned on March 20, 1907.
The third and last Captain was Harry Wheeler, who took the oath on March 25, 1907. He moved the ranger headquarters from Douglas to Naco. Wheeler, who had served the rangers at every rank brought discipline and idealism to the ranks. He was known for his iron will and absolute honesty. Captain Wheeler was the best possible field officer and administrator.
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