DUANE
Duane's take
Here's the official marker's account, the way Duane tells it. Now I want you to picture a Missouri boy, born May 24, 1854, who decides at thirteen years old that home just isn't big enough anymore. In 1867, John R.
Banister pointed himself toward Texas and didn't look back. Texas had a way of shaping a man fast, and it shaped Banister into a cowboy. He took the training, learned the trade, and then he did what cowboys of that era did — he drove cattle north to market.
Not once. Several times. Out across the open country, pushing herds toward those northern markets, learning the land and learning himself in the process.
But here's where the story takes a turn that most cowboys never got. John Banister put on a badge. He served as a Texas Ranger — and he didn't serve alone.
His brother Will rode alongside him. Two Banister brothers, riding for the Rangers. And together, they participated in something that would get talked about around campfires from one end of the state to the other: the capture of outlaw Sam Bass.
Sam Bass. That name meant something in Texas. And the Banister brothers were there when it ended.
But John Banister wasn't the kind of man who peaked early and coasted. After the Rangers, he kept building a life of service. He worked as a railway officer.
He served as an inspector for the Cattle Raisers' Association — a man who'd driven cattle now watching over the whole enterprise. And then Coleman County called on him, and he answered as sheriff. John R.
Banister died August 2, 1918. One life, and he filled it about as full as a man can.
What the marker says
(May 24, 1854-Aug. 2, 1918) Missouri native John Banister left home in 1867 and came to Texas. He received training as a cowboy and participated in several cattle drives to northern markets. Banister served with his brother, Will, as a Texas Ranger and participated in the capture of outlaw Sam Bass. Other contributions to the state included his service as a railway officer, inspector for the Cattle Raisers' Association, and Coleman County sheriff. Recorded - 1984