John Riley Banister

John Riley Banister (1854 – 1918) was a law officer, cowboy and Texas Ranger. John Banister was born in Banister, Missouri, United States, on May 24, 1854, to William Lawrence and Mary (Buchanan) Banister.

Move to Texas

What inspired Banister to leave Banister Hollow is not clear, although oral history suggests that it was in part due to his mother's unhappiness and abusive treatment from an uncle named Argiles Hicks. Further anecdotal evidence suggests that the wild, chaotic nature of the region was also an influence, as according to Leona Bruce mobs and guerillas were a constant threat. Furthermore, the attraction to the West, the land where Banister's father had gone before, may have been the strongest impetus. Banister, at age thirteen, along with his brother, Will (who was named for their father) decided to leave their home to seek out their father in Texas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Not having a map, or any kind of predefined route, one Spring night in 1867 the two boys did not return home from hunting at the Niangua River. This timing was chosen because the boys understood that their leaving would not have been permitted by their family and their grandfather would have followed them and punish them had he had sufficient warning.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is no historical or anecdotal record to suggest that the boys ever set foot in Banister Hollow again. Nor is there record to show how John and Will Banister traveled or what transpired during that time, although there is record of the boys asking other passing travelers at the earlier stages of their journey questions about how and where to cross the Mississippi River, what kind of storms normally occurred in the Spring, how to plan a route and stay on track and where there might be danger from Native Americans. They traveled nearly six-hundred miles alone, armed with only a single rifle, a small amount of lead and powder, and a bag of Banister Hollow cornmeal. Four months after leaving Banister Hollow, the boys arrived in Fort Worth, Texas, a well-known town which was a source of supplies for settlements in the surrounding region.

Related Topics:
Mississippi River - Fort Worth, Texas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~