Texas Ranger Stoudenmire

“When 1881 dawned, Solomon Schutz was one of the wealthiest men in town, the successful operator of their largest mercantile, and the Worshipful Master of El Paso Lodge. Joseph Magoffin, a son of the pioneer first family of El Paso, was likewise a prominent figure in the city government and a member of the Lodge. Several members of the city council were Masons, also. Schutz, Magoffin, and the rest of the town council were struggling to establish law and order in El Paso, with minimum success. Historians can only speculate on Cummings' role in summoning Stoudenmire to El Paso. “Doc” Cummings was the brother-in-law of Dallas Stoudenmire. Some sources believe Joseph Magoffin extended the invitation, but it seems reasonable to think Doc acted as an advance man and passed the word along to Dallas that El Paso needed a new marshal. A good number of the town's prominent citizens were members of El Paso Lodge No. 130 and were involved in the struggle to bring civilization and respectability to a place frequently compared to Sodom and Gomorrah of biblical infamy." Stoudenmire is immortalized by “The Four Dead in Five Seconds” Gunfight was a famous gunfight that occurred on April 14, 1881, on El Paso Street, in El Paso, Texas. Stoudenmire was killed after he was engaging “Doc” Manning. His funeral services were held at El Paso Lodge # 130 A.F. & A.M. The masonic lodge paid for the suit and all the funeral expenses. This included the casket. Consequently, his wife Isabella shipped his body to Columbus, Texas for burial. Stoudenmire has been credited for being feared and taming a lawless town of El Paso or what some historians refer to as “Hell Paso” during the time. Credit: - Sir Knight Joseph E. Bennett, 33, KYCH. - Photo Image: Knight Templar Magazine. April 1997. Accessed through El Paso Lodge # 130 on Nov. 8th, 2020.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: El Paso Lodge # 130 A.F. & A.M. Archives

Uploaded by: Alonso Wells IV