Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Arizona Ranger On Western Wednesday...!

I know that many times here I have sung the praises of the Texas Rangers, but other states had their share of notable Rangers as well!

No post about Arizona Rangers would be complete without giving the biggest nod to this man!

Apr 30, 1867:
Arizona Ranger Burton Mossman is born

Burton C. Mossman, a rancher turned lawman, is born in Aurora, Illinois.

Little is known about Mossman's childhood in Illinois, though he apparently learned to be self-reliant and resourceful at a young age. When he was 21, Mossman left home and moved to Mexico, where he quickly began proving himself one of the most canny and successful ranchers in the territory. By age 30, he not only had his own spread in New Mexico, but was also the superintendent of a two-million-acre ranch in northern Arizona running 60,000 cattle.

As the size of the southwestern cattle industry increased, cattle rustlers began to take advantage of the lack of surveillance on the isolated ranges to steal stock. In 1901, the territory of Arizona responded by organizing a ranger force to rid the region of rustlers and other outlaws. The governor of Arizona convinced Mossman to sign on as the first captain of the Arizona Rangers.

Mossman was suited to the task. Courageous and skilled with a pistol, he had a knack for surprising rustlers while they were still in possession of stolen cattle, freshly butchered beef, green hides, and other incriminating evidence. Though he could use violence to good effect when needed, Mossman preferred to trick his quarry into giving up peacefully when possible. In one instance, Mossman rode south alone in pursuit of the multiple-murderer Agostine Chacon, who had fled to Mexico. Clearly out of his jurisdiction, Mossman had to act with finesse. With the assistance of Burt Alvard, an outlaw turned lawman, Mossman convinced Chacon that he and Alvard were also outlaws and would help him steal several top horses from a ranch in southern Arizona. When the men crossed the border into Arizona, Mossman revealed his true identity and arrested Chacon, who was later hanged.

The Chacon arrest was a typical example of Mossman's approach to dealing with Arizona rustlers and outlaws. "If they come along easy, everything will be all right," he once explained. "If they don't, well, I just guess we can make pretty short work of them... Some of them will object, of course. They'll probably try a little gunplay as a bluff, but I shoot fairly well myself, and the boys who back me up are handy enough with guns. Any rustler who wants to yank on the rope and kick up trouble will find he's up against it."

After a long and adventurous career with the Arizona Rangers, Mossman eventually returned to the more peaceful life of a rancher. By the time he retired from ranching in 1944, he had business interests in cattle operations from Mexico to Montana, and more than a million cattle wore his brand. He lived out the remainder of his life at his comfortable ranch in Roswell, New Mexico, and died in 1956 at the age of 89.

Thanks again to the folks at History.com for letting us learn about the working heroes of the Old West! Mossman had a long and exciting life, it seems!

Coffee outside this morning. It may start to rain, but let's take a chance, OK?

5 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Sounds like he lived an interesting life and made a few bucks along the way!

Chickenmom said...

What an interesting life! Kind of hard to visualize a two million acre ranch, though.
Coffee by you sounds great! 28 here this morning! It's a DD day - I'll bring a box for all to share.

Phyllis (N/W Jersey)

linda m said...

That is one successful man. I must say I do admire him. Coffee outside sounds good. Cool morning here - not supposed to rain either for a change.

JO said...

This was one of the stories I have read. Enjoyed it. Alvard turned law and out law a few times. He was quite a character.

Pass the pot please, never mind I'll get it. Feel so at home here after all these years.

HermitJim said...

Hey Gorges...
Sounds like an ideal way to go through life, doesn't it? Doing what you like and making a living at it!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Phyllis...
Back in those days, very large spreads were not uncommon!

Bring on the donuts...!

Thanks for dropping by this morning!



Hey Linda...
Maybe you are starting to get some real Spring! That would be a nice change, right?

Many thanks to you for coming over today!



Hey Jo...
I think that many of the rangers had a turn at being an outlaw. Probably made them better at their jobs!

You should feel right at home here, sweetie! Been having coffee together for a long time!

Thanks so much for stopping by!