NARRATIVE: The West was a wild and lawless place. Arizona, in particular, had many ruffians inhabiting the territory and in desperate need of law and order. Arizona’s goal was to become a place where people could live and pursue their dreams. As the West became more settled, outlaws from the East began to come to the Arizona territory to ply their trade of cattle rustling, horse stealing, theft, robbery and other crimes. The Law was small and out-numbered. The president at the time, William McKinley, would not let Arizona become a state until the outlaw problem was solved. In 1901, the Arizona Rangers were formed by the Arizona Territory legislature in effort to improve the situation. They were tasked with driving the outlaws out of the state. The head of the Rangers was initially Burt Mossman, who had been foreman of the Aztec Land and Cattle company. Rustling was the chief crime the Rangers dealt with but, as time went on, other crimes came under their purview.

The Rangers had to be cowboys and familiar with handling stock. Many served with Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War. During the brief eight-year history, there were never more than 26 Rangers. Two of them served as captain and sergeant and, in the beginning, there were only twelve privates with leadership totaling fourteen men. These few men were committed to their work, covering thousands of miles horseback tracking rustlers and horse thieves and subduing mine disputes. They brought order to towns overrun with lawlessness. The Rangers were so feared, they just had to show up in a place and the outlaw element would flee.

The Ranger in this piece is outfitted in typical gear of the era. His saddle was a double-rigged square skirt with a slicker secured on back and a canteen tied behind the cantle. These men had to be ready for any kind of weather they might encounter. Water was a constant concern for both men and horses. Worn on the vest is the Ranger five point star. The Ranger’s carbine is in its scabbard and slung how all Rangers carried them. His pistol is the Colt Revolver and his rope tied to the horn and ready for use. Wooden stirrups and boots tucked into his pants complete this Rangers’ trappings. These men had to be ready to move cattle or horses and needed the tools to do it. His horse is raw-boned, tough and able to travel in rough country, yet very familiar with the cattle trade as well. He carries a simple ring bit in his mouth, very popular in that period.

By 1908, the outlaws had either been dispatched by the Rangers, imprisoned or driven from the country. The territory legislature defunded them in 1909 and Arizona became state number 48 in 1910. No matter where these Rangers traveled, they were always "Trackin' Trouble."