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One company was authorized to consist of a captain, a sergeant and not more than 12 privates. In 1903 the authorized force was increased to 26. On February 15, 1909 the act establishing the Arizona Rangers was repealed. During the 7 and a half years of its existence 107 men served as Rangers. The men who served in the Rangers, many of them veterans of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders were expert horsemen, trackers and marksmen. They were widely publicized and conspicuous, sporting their badges boldly, well armed and distinctive. Their disbandment is said to have been politically motivated by pressure from conventional law enforcement in the persons of the county sheriffs of the Arizona counties.
In addition to dealing with rustlers and other outlaws they were called on to deal with several large strikes by Mexican workers at mines in Arizona (and with the reluctant, even forced, cooperation of the Mexican authorities) in Mexico.
The analogous agency in the Territory of New Mexico, organized in 1905 was called the New Mexico Mounted Police . Across the Mexican border in northern Sonora a similar band of men, the rurales , also known as the Cordada, was commanded by a Russian, Colonel Emilio Kosterlitsky who cooperated closely with the Rangers
The first Captain of the Arizona Rangers was Burton C. Mossman of Bisbee, Arizona who had previously as manager of the 2 million acre (8,000 kmē) Aztec Land and Cattle Co, , also called the "Hash Knife outfit", in northern Arizona near Holbrook and Winslow had some success in controlling rustling of his company's cattle. In July, 1902 after successfully recruiting and organizing the Rangers, Mossman resigned, returning to the cattle business and was replaced by Thomas H. Rynning . The third and last commander of the Arizona Rangers was Harry C. Wheeler .
In general the men of the Arizona Rangers were extremely capable and honorable men who exploits were extensively reported by the newspapers of the day. Many of these reports are collected in the book, The Arizona Rangers edited by Joseph Miller. A tale of at least one bad apple, Sergeant Jeff Kidder, who while blind drunk, shot it out with Mexican police in Naco, Sonora is also recorded as is the interesting tale of Manuel Sarabia , a Mexican revolutionary.
The Arizona Rangers had been preceded by ephemeral organization of the Arizona Territorial Rangers in 1860 (disbanded when its members joined the Confederate Army) and in 1882 (never funded by Congress). There is voluntary service organization organized in 1957 called the Arizona Rangers with a website at http://www.azrangers.us/ the modern Arizona Rangers are recognized by the State of Arizona as a law enforcement auxiliary . The Arizona Territorial Rangers Reenactment Group http://www.aztr.org/index.htm (headquartered in Netcong, New Jersey) is a historical reenactmentHistorical reenactment is an activity in which participants recreate some aspects of a historical event or period. It may be a narrowly-defined time period, such as a specific war or other event, or it may be more broadly defined. Activities related to "r group. Another Arizona Rangers, in Norway, is part of Scandinavian Western Shooters , see http://ostfold.kulturnett.no/azr/
BadgeA Badge is a device, patch, or accoutrement which is presented or displayed to annote some feat of service, a special accomplishment, or as a simple means of identification. In the military, badges are often used to denote qualifications recieved throughs of the Arizona Rangers which are described as being of solid silver, lettered in blue enamel with engravings etched in blue are a valuable collectibleA collectible is a manufactured item designed for people to collect. Collectibles are specifically created for the purpose of collecting (see also hobby). In this respect, they are distinguishable from other subjects of collections, which may also include. Replicas are available, see an image of a replica at http://store1.yimg.com/I/goldmountainmining_1780_2765128For most the only reference they have ever encountered to the Arizona Rangers was in the song, "Big Iron", in Western singer Marty RobbinsMarty Robbins ( September 26 1925 December 8, 1982), born Martin David Robinson near Glendale, Arizona, served in the United States Navy during World War II and went on to become an immensely popular singing star of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennes album Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs .