Texas Rangers' lore stimulates an ongoing marketing enterprise

By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

Scott Williams, development and marketing contractor for the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, shows off and models the Wrangler clothing line that the Hall of Fame and Wrangler produced, called Texas Ranger Wear. -- Photo by Mindy Poehl

Dec. 16, 2004 - The Texas Rangers are the oldest known law enforcement in Texas. The Rangers have defended Texas since 1823 when colonizer Stephen F. Austin called for ten men to "range" the frontier and protect the settlers from contentious Indians.

The modern Texas Rangers are an investigative division of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

"If you've watched shows like CSI, that is what the Rangers do-investigating," said Scott Williams, development and marketing contractor for the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

Today, there are 119 Texas Rangers, which is the most they've had since 1935, when the rangers began operating with the DPS. The Texas Rangers are posted across Texas in six companies that are headquartered in Waco, Houston, Midland, Garland, Lubbock, and San Antonio with an administrative office in Austin.

Company F is the largest company, with 22 rangers, that is housed in Waco. Waco is home to three state designations, including a museum, a hall of fame and a repository for articles related to the Texas Rangers, Williams said. In 1968, the Texas Ranger Museum was opened, with the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame following in 1975.

As living symbols of a unique heritage, the Texas Rangers are outfitted in boots, white hats and pistol belts, just like their predecessors. And, The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum has teamed with Wrangler Western Wear to launch a clothing line, called Texas Ranger Wear, which includes shirts, cowboy hats, belts, wallets and watches that are sold nationwide.

"The inspiration (for the Texas Ranger Wear) came from spending time in the store. We have over 100,000 visitors a year and a large portion of them are international," Williams explained. "I'd watch tourists try to shove little kids cowboy hats on their heads. I got the idea to have western wear. The Texas Rangers belt buckle was the only piece of western wear we had, so I sent letters to various companies."

Williams sent a letter to Wrangler Western Wear and three days later he received a call from the vice president at Wrangler.

"After meeting the next week, Wrangler expressed a great desire to be here," Williams said. "They proposed a Texas Ranger collection sponsored by Wrangler. We wanted more than shirts. We licensed hats, belts, watches, wallets and specialized tack for horses."

Texas Ranger Wear began in October 2003 and has been going strong ever since.

"We've had a dozen shirts designed for us since the program started," Williams stated. "The first two hats we had were straw and felt. The shirts do well, but the hats are outstanding. They have a uniqueness to them. Each band has eight badge conchos- company A-F, unsolved crimes and investigative units and headquarters."

Wrangler makes 52 straw hat designs and Texas Rangers hats are the #4 hat for Wrangler.

"Wrangler is one of the few handmade hat makers," Williams said. "They handmake their hats in Garland and they are a very good quality hat."

Texas Ranger Wear also sells watches and wallets in commemorative tins.

"It's great because we get to use historic photographs on them," Williams said. "We're a marketing persons dream, because we have access to historic pictures."

The Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum also collaborates with other companies to market items. In spring of 2005, the store will launch its new line of Justin Boots. Daisy Outdoor Products makes a commemorative 1894 Winchester BB gun. The Texas Rangers Museum is also currently in the process of working with Smith Furniture Manufacturing Company, in Waco, to produce a line of upholstered and case goods furniture, Williams said.

Last week, Southern Legacy Billiards Company designed a billiards table with the Texas Ranger design and Taylor Cutlery has designed three knives for the Texas Rangers. Andrews-Paxton Buckle Company made a large line of belt buckles that are being sold to western retailers across the country.

Being able to combine the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum with other companies to produce personal items is "a great plus," Williams said. "We sell internationally over the internet and our items are sold in other stores."

The proceeds from the specialized Texas Rangers items are used to improve and add to the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum.

"The biggest part of this is the lore and legend of the Texas Rangers," Williams said. "They're deep American heroes and legends of the West. The appeal is national."

For more information about the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum, visit www.texasranger.org.