Ira Aten
Encyclopedia
Ira Aten was a Texas Ranger who was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame
.
Aten was born in Cairo
, Illinois
. His father Austin Aten was a Methodist circuit rider, and moved the family to Texas
in 1876, settling near Round Rock
, Texas. In 1878, while still a boy, Aten witnessed the death of outlaw
Sam Bass
. In March 1883, Aten joined the Texas Rangers, becoming a member of "Company D" serving under Captain L. P. Seiker. Aten was assigned to the counties bordering the Rio Grande River, and due to the rough nature of this area, he became involved in numerous dangerous encounters.
Aten was involved in the Fence Cutting War
of the mid-1880's, during the period in which many ranchers were fencing off their property, doing away with open range. In July 1887, Aten was accompanied by future Ranger Hall of Fame member John Hughes
in the pursuit of murderer Judd Roberts, with Hughes and Aten killing Roberts in a gunfight. It was Aten who convinced Hughes to join the Rangers. In 1888, late in the Fence Cutting War, Aten placed hidden dynamite
charges on certain fence lines, so that when the wire was cut the dynamite would explode. The Adjutant General
did not approve and ordered them removed. Although extreme, this greatly reduced the number of fences cut, even after the charges were removed. Aten was also involved in the later Jaybird-Woodpecker War
, after which he was elected to the position of Fort Bend County, Texas
Sheriff
.
In 1890 Aten moved to Castro County, Texas and then in 1904 moved with his family to Imperial Valley (California), where he served as a member of the Imperial Valley District board in 1923, which helped push through legislation for the construction of Boulder Dam and the All-American Canal
. In 1945, J. Marvin Hunter
's Frontier Times magazine
published Aten's memoirs
. Aten died of pneumonia
at his daughter's home in Burlingame
, California
and was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro
, California.
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas, is the state-designated official historical center of the famed Texas Rangers law enforcement agency. It consists of the Homer Garrison, Jr. museum gallery, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, the Texas Ranger Research Center and the Headquarters...
.
Aten was born in Cairo
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. His father Austin Aten was a Methodist circuit rider, and moved the family to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1876, settling near Round Rock
Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The 2010 census places the population at 99,887....
, Texas. In 1878, while still a boy, Aten witnessed the death of outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
Sam Bass
Sam Bass
Sam Bass was a nineteenth-century American train robber and outlaw.-Early life:Bass was orphaned at the age of 10. For the next five years, he and his siblings lived with an abusive uncle. In 1869, he set out on his own and spent the next year in Mississippi...
. In March 1883, Aten joined the Texas Rangers, becoming a member of "Company D" serving under Captain L. P. Seiker. Aten was assigned to the counties bordering the Rio Grande River, and due to the rough nature of this area, he became involved in numerous dangerous encounters.
Aten was involved in the Fence Cutting War
Fence Cutting War
The Fence Cutting War occurred at the end of the 19th century and was a dispute between advocates of the open range, and ranchers who wished to fence off their property, all taking place in Texas.-War:...
of the mid-1880's, during the period in which many ranchers were fencing off their property, doing away with open range. In July 1887, Aten was accompanied by future Ranger Hall of Fame member John Hughes
John Hughes (lawman)
John Reynolds Hughes was a Texas Ranger and cowboy of the Old West, and later an author.-Early life:Hughes was born John Reynolds Hughes, in Cambridge, Illinois, son to Thomas Hughes and Jennie Bond Hughes. In 1865 the family moved to Dixon, Illinois, then later to Mound City, Kansas. Hughes left...
in the pursuit of murderer Judd Roberts, with Hughes and Aten killing Roberts in a gunfight. It was Aten who convinced Hughes to join the Rangers. In 1888, late in the Fence Cutting War, Aten placed hidden dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
charges on certain fence lines, so that when the wire was cut the dynamite would explode. The Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
did not approve and ordered them removed. Although extreme, this greatly reduced the number of fences cut, even after the charges were removed. Aten was also involved in the later Jaybird-Woodpecker War
Jaybird-Woodpecker War
The Jaybird-Woodpecker War was a feud between two factions fighting for political control of Fort Bend County, Texas, just west of Houston. It occurred during the U.S...
, after which he was elected to the position of Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
.
In 1890 Aten moved to Castro County, Texas and then in 1904 moved with his family to Imperial Valley (California), where he served as a member of the Imperial Valley District board in 1923, which helped push through legislation for the construction of Boulder Dam and the All-American Canal
All-American Canal
The All-American Canal is an long aqueduct, located in southeastern California. It conveys water from the Colorado River into the Imperial Valley and to nine cities. It is the Imperial Valley's only water source, and replaced the Alamo Canal, which was located mostly in Mexico...
. In 1945, J. Marvin Hunter
J. Marvin Hunter
John Marvin Hunter was an author, historian, journalist, and printer who founded the Frontier Times Museum in Bandera, Texas...
's Frontier Times magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
published Aten's memoirs
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
. Aten died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at his daughter's home in Burlingame
Burlingame, California
Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. It is renowned for its many surviving examples of Victorian architecture, its affluence, and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro
El Centro, California
El Centro is a city in and county seat of Imperial County, the largest city in the Imperial Valley and the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also...
, California.