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BY TEXAS RANGER, RETIRED, JOE B. DAVIS
President of the FTRF
The Former Texas Rangers Foundation (FTRF) was organized in 1971 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit to support the efforts of the oldest officially recognized Texas Ranger organization the Former Texas Rangers Association (FTRA) which was established in 1897. The FTRF supports the mission of the FTRA which exists to preserve the true history of the Texas Rangers, to operate and maintain a museum dedicated to the Texas Rangers, to establish land marks related to Ranger history, to administer a scholarship program, and to provide a Memorial Cross Program to honor deceased Texas Rangers. Membership in the FTRA include former and active Texas Rangers. The FTRF expanded membership opportunities for individuals and corporations who did not qualify for membership in the FTRA. They can now stand with us in our effort to preserve the Ranger heritage.
In 1971 both the FTRF and the FTRA had established a museum located in Memorial Hall in San Antonio. Memorial Hall was built in 1936 during the Texas Centennial in memory of the Rangers, Pioneers, and Old Trail Drivers. It was located next to the Witte Museum on Broadway. After establishing a Board of Directors, one of the first projects of the Foundation was to raise funds for a bronze statue of a Frontier Battalion Texas Ranger to be placed in front of Memorial Hall. Once the funds was raised the bronze was completed and stood in front of Memorial Hall for many years. It has since been moved to the grounds of the Texas Rangers Heritage Center in Fredericksburg.
In 1999 the Former Texas Rangers Association Board decided to build a new museum because Memorial Hall did not have adequate climate control and there was concern for the artifacts that were displayed there. The Former Texas Rangers Foundation was then re-organized and started a Capital Campaign to locate new grounds and to build a new facility.
FTRF moved its offices to Kerrville and organized a new Board of Directors. It was decided by the Board to try and locate a new site in The Hill Country. The Board established new membership opportunities to raise funds and started an annual fundraising event, “Silver Stars & Six Guns”. After learning about our project the City of Fredericksburg offered to lease to the FTRF 12 acres of land that joined Fort Martin Scott in which to build the new facility on. A 99 year lease agreement was agreed upon by both the city and the FTRF Board. Phase I of the Texas Rangers Heritage Center (TRHC) opened in 2016 and construction of Phase II is expected to begin by mid-2021. The TRHC will be a state of the art facility where young and old alike can come and learn the true history of the Texas Rangers. It will be more than a museum – MUCH more.
For more information go to our website www.TRHC.org or call our office at 830-990-1192.
