03/24/2026
I do appreciate what the city, the manager, and the council is helping to accomplish in Ranger. I know that it has been an uphill battle.
I would just like to express my heartbreak. Ranger lost a “historic building”, as I have seen it posted last week, but Will and I lost “our” building. We lost our business, our years of investment, our hours upon hours of blood, sweat, and tears. We lost our dream of an investment into Ranger.
We started that journey 5 years ago, when there was no talk of investing in or growing Ranger. We saw a vision to bring people, revenue, and good times to our little town. We saw the potential of making our venue into a longtime attraction for the city of Ranger. We didn’t ask for, nor were ever offer, any help to build or grow our business. We poured everything we had into that vision. We had a beautiful journey.
We made history. We brought thousands of people to Ranger over the past few years. They bought hotel rooms, they bought fuel, they rented AirBnB’s, they ate out, and they bought groceries and beverages from the local stores. In addition to the dancehall venue, we have had a construction company based out of Ranger for over 15 years. We also ran that business from our Melvin Street properties. We have paid business and property taxes to Ranger and Eastland County for years.
Will and I have yet to hear any condolences for “our” loss from the City of Ranger. People, friends and strangers, drove by to watch or video our dreams burn to the ground, without even so much as a word to us. We have loved Ranger our whole lives. Both of us were born here, in the old hospital. We have done our best to improve it and support growth.
We continue to wish the best for this town, but we would have truly, deeply appreciated our town to support us in “our” loss.
I am not one to publicly make a statement, and I don’t expect much, other than the negativity that is typical of social media. Of course, we are hearing the ludicrous ignorance of some. Any educated individual would know the impossibility and expense of full insurance on a hundred year old building. No insurance policy exists that could replace or refurbish such a treasure. Our personal collection of family memorabilia and art work was worth far more the American dollar. It is a shame some live with such hatred in their hearts. Not one person that ever experienced Wild Will’s in full bloom, not one of the many faces they we personally greeted on the way in or way out, not one person that we visited with or prayed over would doubt our love for it. It had a true spirit of its own.
I simply felt it important to express our sadness and overall heartbreak over the loss of that one of a kind building, all our personal lifelong collection of irreplaceable things, and the business that we owned.
The people that visited our concerts from all over the United States have reached out to us. They saw how magnificent that Wild Will’s Dancehall was. They saw how much our whole family worked at it, and loved it!!
We will overcome. God has been so faithful to bless us. And, we are trusting Him for the future.
With that said, I would like to say how grateful we are for the Ranger Fire Department for all that they do day in and day out. Thank you for serving us in our need and our town.
To make a statement is out of my comfort zone. I dislike confrontation, but what I guess I have come to realize is that rejection and lack of compassion hurts worse.
Sincerely and sadly,
Pepper Barrett and family.
