CALIFORNIA STATE RANGERS
California State Police Division
"Once a Ranger always a Ranger"
History
The origin of what in 1853, was to become the California Rangers, goes back over several decades to the removal of the Cherokee from the old south into the Indian Territory. Long before President Andrew Jackson signed the Removal Act, which changed Indian history forever. Major Ridge and his faction, which was known as the "Ridge Faction."
Signed the "Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek." Which was in violation of the Cherokee Blood Law. The "Ridge Faction" had signed away their portion of the Cherokee land in Georgia, in exchange for land in the west. Cherokee law forbid the sale of any land without the full consent of the tribal council.
The land that the "Ridge Faction," claimed was located in what is now north western Arkansas.
Warrants were issued against the persons who signed the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. These warrants were known as "Blood Warrants." Which called for the exicution of everyone who signed the Treaty. Before the exicutions could be carried out, the Removal Act was enforced and resulted in the "Trail of Tears."
By 1838 the Cherokee had been removed to the Indian Territory. The remnants of the tribe arrived destitute and broken. It took many years for them to recover. When they did, they recalled that the "Blood Warrants," had never been served.
In the middle to the night, unknown persons killed Major Ridge, his son John Ridge and his nephew Elias Boudinot [Lone Watie], Stand Waties brother. Six times they tried to exicute Stand Watie without success. During the exicutions, the unknown persons missed Major Ridges grand-son, John Rolling Ridge Jr., who escaped to San Francisco, California. Here he went to work for the San Francisco Chronicle.
While working as a staff writer for the paper and writing under the name of "Yellow Feather," he recognized that the Spainish of early California needed a folk hero to rally around.
With the large number of Spainish outlaws, ranging up and down California, and no less than five of them named Joaquin. And one of them named Joaquin Murietta. He chose to develop his folk hero around; Joaquin Murietta. He combined all the crimes commited by the Five Joaquin's into one.
Now this may sound like a fairy tale, but lets jump forward to the time I served with the Ranger's. While at the State Capitol in Sacramento, I had the occasion to get into the archives of the old Rangers, which were stored in the basement. This is where I was able to get copies of all the documents that are displayed on this page.
Several years later, my wife and I were at an antigue book auction in San Francisco. When a set of book came up on the auction block, after examining them I bid on and recieved them. One of these books was written by "Yellow Feather," John Rolling Ridge, Jr. It was the story of the California Rangers and how they were formed. It also told how he had created the "Legend of Joaquin Murietta."
In 1848, the state legislature listening to the hew and cry of the populace, of the fledgling Territory of California saw a need to raise a company of rangers. This was due to the rising threat of outlawry. By a unanimous vote, The decision was made to raise a company of rangers. The California State Rangers were founded in 1853, by an act of the Legislature in Stockton, Californa, for the explict purpose of tracking down and capturing the outlaw; Joaquin Murietta and his hinchman, Three Finger Jack and all known associates.
Legend or fact of Murietta
The archives reveal that five drunken miners broke into Joaquin and Rosita's cabin. They knocked him unconscious, then ravished and murdered Rosita. Joaquin and his elder brother went to Murphy's Diggings gold camp seeking revenge. The drunken miners ended up hanging the elder Murietta and horse whipping Joaquin.
He started raiding the miners of the area as the self-proclaimed avenger of the murders of his Rosita and his brother.
Newspaper accounts of the period spoke heavily of uncontrolable outlawry, and the need among the Spanish Californians for a cultural hero. One which they could identify with and ralley around. One who would become their cultural leader in their fight for the rights of all the Spanish population. Prompted the creation of the legend of Joaquin Murietta.
The inflated and exaggerated accounts of Joaquin's exploits and pressure from the white population of early California forced the legislature to take action. Though in 1848 the Legislature saw a need for the Rangers, it wasn't until 1851 that in a united effort the Legislature laid the foundation for the formation of a law enforcement body with authority throughout the state.
Their choice for an individual to lead this new body of Rangers fell to a former Dragoon by the name of Harry Love[he has been alleged to have been a member of a number of different organizations; including as a Dragoon].
Love was appointed to the rank of Captain of the California Rangers. With the commission to search for and capture the outlaw Joaquin Murietta; his lieutenant Three Fingered Jack and other associated outlaws. For this commission the company would be paid a salary and if successful, a bonus.
The State Legislature on May 17, 1853, passed the following act which authorized the raising of a company of Rangers:
"The people of the State of California represented in Senate and Assembly do enact as follows:
Section 1: Captain Harry S. Love is hereby authorized and empowered to raise a company of mounted Rangers, not to exceed twenty men, and muster them into the service of the State for the period of three months unless sooner disbanded by order of the Governor, for the purpose of capture the party or gang of robbers commanded by the five Joaquin whose names are, Joaquin Murietta, Joaquin O'Comorenia, Joaquin Valenzuela, Joaquin Betellier, and Joaquin Carrillo, and their banded associates.
Section 2: Said Rangers shall furnish at their own expense the necessary horses, arms, and equipment, and ammunition for the purpose named in the first section and shall receive from the State of California the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars each month while in actual service during these said tree months, which shall be in full payment for all services rendered under the provisions of this act.
Section 3: The Comptroller of the State is hereby directed to audit the account of said Rangers for their services upon the certificate of their commander and shall draw his warrant upon the Treasurer of State, who is directed to pay out the same out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Section 4: It shall be the duty of the said Rangers upon taking any prisoners to deliver them safely to the County authorities for trial, and upon making recovery of any stolen cattle, horses or other property to deliver the same to the authorities of the County within which they may have been taken, and public notice shall be given as required by law.
There is even a monument, smack in the center of Highway 49 in the town of Hornitos, right in front of the town saloon. Alledging that two saloon girls got into a knife fight over Murietta and killed each other right there where the marker is.
Virtually every town along Highway 49 which runs north and south along the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has some form of claim to a Murietta legend.
The company of Rangers late one evening cornered the gang next to a marsh between Mariposa and Fresno. Killing or capturing most of the "Murietta gang. Killing Three Fingered Jack. They cut his hand off and preserved it in a jar of alcohol. The Rangers captured Murrietta later and took him to the jail in Mariposa, California [again fact mixs with legend]. Where, they feared that sympathetic supportors of Murietta's would storm the jail and release him. He was taken out of the jail and hanged, his head cut off and preserved in alcohol for shipment to Stockton. On July 28, 1853 the California State Legislature in Stockton, California accepted the evidence as presented and awarded the bonus to Captain Harry Love and his Company of California State Rangers.
On May 28, 1853, in Quartsburg, Mariposa County, Captain Love organized the California State Rangers. This company was composed of twenty men all of whom had served under Captain Love in the Mexican War. Below is an image of the Muster And Descriptive Roll of Captain Love's company of State Rangers:
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The evolution of the California Rangers
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CSP Memorial to Our Fallen Comrades
History of the California State Police Badge & Patch
History of California State Police Re-organization
IPA, USA Section, Region #6 Los Angeles, California
International Police Association - IPA
Consolidating the California State Police (CSP) with the California Highway Patrol (CHP)
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