The Canales Investigation: A Turning Point for the Texas Rangers

Abstract

When someone hears “Texas Rangers,” they may have a wide range of images in mind. One could be the Lone Ranger and his great white stallion, Silver, or perhaps Chuck Norris as he battled crime across the State of Texas. Even in recent times, Netflix has introduced a new generation to the legendary story of Frank Hamer and the death of Bonnie and Clyde. However, there is an era of the Rangers’ past that does not typically come to mind. Between 1910 and 1920, it was revealed that the Rangers were responsible for numerous violent incidences, including the massacre at Porvenir where fifteen people were executed. Those actions led State Representative José T. Canales to launch an investigation into the Texas Rangers. This research paper demonstrates how that investigation ushered in the formation of the Texas Rangers that the world knows today.