DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker reads it, one mile north of where we're rolling right now. Pull up a log and listen close, because this is a story about a place where law and order on the Texas plains had to start somewhere — and it started here, in 1879, with a camp called Camp Roberts. First ranger station in the whole Panhandle.
Let that sink in. The whole Panhandle. One camp.
Company C of the newly formed Frontier Battalion of Texas Rangers, set down on this vast, arid stretch of nothing, commanded by a Civil War veteran named Captain G. W. Arrington.
Hard-fighting Ranger. Later a Panhandle sheriff and rancher. The kind of man you'd want between you and trouble.
His boss was the battalion commander, Major John B. Jones, and the Frontier Battalion had a clear enough mission on paper — protect settlers from marauding Indians and outlaws, and keep the rowdy cowboys in line too, while you're at it. Simple enough, right?
Well, here's where the story gets its teeth. Captain Arrington's C Company was supposed to have seventy-five men to meet those duties. He never had more than twenty-eight.
Never. You've got a territory so large it demanded scouting parties always on the move, and Arrington is working with twenty-eight men to cover it. Now, the life those men led — don't let anybody romanticize it past what it was.
Scouting trips across arid plains, encounters with violence, long watches over dangerous captives. And every single man was self-supporting. Furnished his own saddle, his own ropes, his own guns, his own clothing, his own horse, his own bedding.
The state provided a small salary, ammunition, and food — and that was the whole deal. For off-duty entertainment, they held shooting matches. Which, when you think about it, is really just more work with a different name on it.
By 1881, the local Indian menace was removed. And by 1882, the Rangers moved on to a new frontier. That's the way of it — the job gets done, the camp goes quiet.
What's left of Camp Roberts today are the foundations of three sod buildings, sitting around an old well the Rangers once drew water from. Three foundations and a well, out here on the plains. Small thing to mark the beginning of law and order for a whole region.
But then again, twenty-eight men were supposed to be seventy-five — and they did that too.
What the marker says
(One mile north) Law and order for plains area began here in 1879 with creation of Camp Roberts, first ranger station in Panhandle. Company C of the newly formed Frontier Battalion of Texas Rangers was located here and commanded by Captain G. W. Arrington, Civil War veteran, hard-fighting Ranger, later a Panhandle sheriff and rancher. Battalion commander was Maj. John B. Jones. Frontier Battalion was created to protect settlers from marauding Indians and outlaws; rowdy cowboys also needed disciplining. Captain Arrington's C Company was to have 75 men to meet these duties--he never had more than 28. A large territory and few men to cover it meant scouting parties always on the move. Living conditions on the vast, arid plains, scouting trips, encounters with violence, long watches over dangerous captives made a Ranger's life hard. Each man was self-supporting, furnishing his own saddle, ropes, guns, clothing, horse, bedding; he received small salary, ammunition and food from the state. Shooting matches provided much of his off-duty entertainment. By 1881 local Indian menace was removed; Rangers went to new frontier, 1882. Remnants of Camp Roberts today are foundations of three sod buildings around an old well used by the Rangers. 1967