Ranger, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ranger, Texas
City
Downtown Ranger, Texas
Location of Ranger, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Eastland
Area
• Total	7.13 sq mi (18.46 km2)
• Land	7.00 sq mi (18.12 km2)
• Water	0.13 sq mi (0.34 km2)
Elevation	1,427 ft (435 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,300
• Density	323/sq mi (124.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76470
Area code(s)	254
FIPS code	48-60632
GNIS feature ID	2411519

Ranger is a city located in Eastland County, Texas, in the United States. In 2020, about 2,300 people lived there. Ranger is known for its history as an oil boom town. Ranger College, a local college, is one of the biggest employers in the area.

In the 1920s, Ranger became a very busy place. Like other nearby towns such as Cisco and Eastland, it grew quickly because of the discovery of petroleum (oil).

History of Ranger

The story of Ranger changed in August 1917. A company called Texas Pacific Coal drilled a gas well north of the town. Local leaders had offered land to encourage this.

Then, on October 11, 1917, something big happened. The McClesky well, just a mile southwest of Ranger, started producing a lot of oil. It produced 1,200 barrels of oil per day! This oil came from different rock layers deep underground.

This discovery led to the "Ranger Oil Boom." The oil field produced the most oil in July 1919, reaching 80,000 barrels per day. Many people came to Ranger looking for work. This included farmers and soldiers returning from war.

Geography of Ranger

Ranger is in the northeastern part of Eastland County. A major highway, Interstate 20, runs south and east of the city. You can get to Ranger from several exits on I-20. This highway connects Ranger to big cities like Fort Worth, which is about 85 miles east, and Abilene, about 65 miles west. The county seat, Eastland, is only 10 miles to the west.

The city of Ranger covers about 7.13 square miles (18.5 square kilometers). A small part of this area, about 0.13 square miles (0.3 square kilometers), is covered by water.

Ranger Antique Airfield

Ranger is also home to the Ranger Antique Airfield, which has been around since 1911. A famous pilot named Amelia Earhart even landed her special plane, a Pitcairn Autogyro, at this airfield in 1931. The airfield has two grass runways for planes to land and take off.

Ranger's Climate

The weather in Ranger has hot and humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.

Population Facts

The population of Ranger has changed a lot over the years. It grew very fast during the oil boom in the 1920s. After the boom, the population became smaller.

2020 Census Details

In 2020, there were 2,300 people living in Ranger. There were 1,017 households and 516 families.

Education in Ranger

Students in Ranger attend schools in the Ranger Independent School District. The local high school is Ranger High School. Their sports teams are called the Bulldogs. In 1953, the Ranger High School Bulldogs won the state football championship for Class 1A.

Ranger is also home to Ranger College, which is a college where students can earn two-year degrees or prepare to transfer to a four-year university.

Famous People from Ranger

Many interesting people have come from Ranger, Texas. Some of them include:

• Stephen Arterburn – A Christian author and speaker.
• Bobby Cross – An American football player.
• Buster Mills – A baseball player.
• Ted Neeley – An actor.
• Bob Smith – Another American football player.
• Eve Southern – An actress.
• Walter Prescott Webb – A well-known historian who wrote about Texas and the American West.

Photo gallery

• 

  Ranger Train Depot

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  Terrell Building

• 

  City Hall

• 

  Auditorium

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  United States Post Office

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  Halbert Building

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  Lone Star Theater

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  Downtown Ranger

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  Downtown Ranger

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  Downtown Ranger

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  St.Rita's Catholic Church

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  First Baptist Church

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  Oil-field boom town of Ranger in 1919

See also

In Spanish: Ranger (Texas) para niños