State Library Records

Resources available at the
THE TEXAS STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES
Austin, Texas

The Texas State Library and Archives has service records on some (not all) Texas Rangers from 1836-1935. The indexed records do not cover the era 1823-1836 or 1935-Present. Please refer questions about their holdings to their staff.

The State Library and Archives will copy the contents of specific files referenced in their index for a copy fee (see their site below for details). They do not offer a search service. If you desire more detailed research, they can refer you to commercial researchers with whom you can contract, or, staff time permitting, they will render assistance free-of-charge on site in Austin. An appointment is recommended.

RC_State_Archives

Click here for the Adjutant General Records page where you can search for a name. If successful, you will find reference to one or more specific files that you can order from the library. They will not read the contents of the file over the phone or e-mail it to you.

Please be aware that the list contains several branches of service.

The following are generally considered to have served as Texas Rangers:

  • R.R. - Regular Rangers
  • F.B. - Frontier Battalion
  • F.F. - Frontier Forces
  • M.M. - Minute Men
  • M.V. - Mounted Volunteers

Branches of Service NOT considered Texas Rangers:

In general, the following are NOT considered "real" or "regular" Texas Rangers by most historians. They were issued Special Ranger commissions as a convenience to give them state authority and wide geographic jurisdiction. The majority were privately paid by cattlemen's associations, oil companies or railroads. They had no company assignments or place in the regular Texas Ranger chain-of-command.

  • RRR - Railroad Rangers (railroad detectives)
  • LR - Loyalty Rangers (a mass induction of Special Rangers authorized during border scares in World War I)
  • SR - Special Rangers (lawmen from other agencies, oil company and cattle company security)

Please remember the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in your charitable giving. About 80% of our annual budget and all improvements are funded through admissions, museum store purchases and donations. We receive no state of Texas or federal funding. Tax deductible donations may be made to: Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 2570, Waco, TX 76702-2570.

Thanks for your support!