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Lon Parker: Death of a Lawman
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
by Jim Wilson
Lon Parker was an Arizona cowboy. His extended family settled and ranched in southern Arizona near Nogales. In fact, nearby Parker Canyon is named for the family. And, like a lot of the Parkers, Lon served in law enforcement. He was a deputy sheriff for a time and also a Nogales, Arizona, policeman. But, in 1924, the Border Patrol was established and Parker, like many others, was drawn to this better paying federal job. A Border Patrolman’s salary was about the same as that of the Texas Ranger captain.
And, although the Border Patrol has established a fine reputation, it really got off to a rocky start. Keep in mind that National Prohibition had become the law in 1919 and our southern border was rife with booze smugglers from Mexico who were not the least bit reluctant to shoot it out with American officers.
