Dallas County Sheriffs, Early Yrs

DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFFS, THE EARLY YEARS

Texas became a state in March, 1846, and Dallas County was created in April, 30 miles square, with a village called Dallas as the temporary county seat. John Neely Bryan donated a block of land for the courthouse square and a 10 x 10 foot log courthouse was erected. In July, 1846, John Huitt was elected the first sheriff. He settled at Cedar Springs in 1843. In 1847, he appointed S. G. Newton as deputy sheriff. When Huitt died, his brother, Rowland Huitt, took over as sheriff for the remainder of the term. Rowland had become a constable in 1846 and served as a Deputy Sheriff as well. William Jenkins came in 1845 and was elected Sheriff in 1848. He named Abner W. Kean and James J. Beeman as deputies. Jenkins died in 1871 and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Dallas.

Trezevant C. Hawpe became the first four-year sheriff in 1850, and had a new wood jail built to exacting specifications. He had arrived in 1846 and lived in the East Dallas area. Following his election, he had deputies John P. Cole in 1850, A. C. Haught

in 1851, E. C. McKenzie in 1853, and James Horton in 1854. Hawpe supervised the first hanging in Dallas County in 1853, a woman who had killed a man with an ax. During the Civil War, Hawpe became a Confederate colonel, commanding the 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment. He was wounded, and discharged in 1862, and returned to Dallas. Here he was stabbed to death in an argument in 1863, and is buried in the Masonic/Pioneer Cemetery near today's Convention Center.

Adam C. Haught came in 1845, and was married to Ruth Beeman. He was elected Constable in 1849, County Commissioner in 1850, and served as a deputy sheriff. He operated the Trinity River Ferry and, in 1852, captained a Trinity River boat hauling
cotton to Houston. The boat could not get through, and the cotton was off-loaded and taken to Houston by wagon. The boat then struck a snag and sank. Haught survived and was elected Sheriff in 1854. His deputies were Peter Haught 1854, Wormley
Carter 1854, John H. Daniel 1855, and William M. Chenault 1856. Haught later ran a saloon and a merchandise store in Dallas.

Bennett M. Henderson became the sixth sheriff in 1856, at age 19, with a new two-story courthouse. Later, he joined a group of southern sympathizers in Colorado in 1861, and was arrested. He was shot and killed while trying to escape. Wormley Carter came here in 1846 and was elected Constable in 1850. He became a Deputy Sheriff in 1856 and was elected Sheriff in 1858. After a two-year term, he returned to farming. Alien Beard came in 1848 and was Justice of the Peace in 1850-56. He served as Sheriff 1860-62 with D. H. Mason as Deputy. Beard later became a captain in the 19th Texas Cavalry in the Civil War, and then farmed until his death in 1873.

N. 0. McAdams was elected Sheriff in 1862 and, 1864 and was reappointed by the Provisional Governor in 1865. His deputies were M. M. Thompson, J. M. Brown, M. 0. Bledso, and H. H. Williams. After he left office in 1866, McAdams was later a justice of the peace 1873-1875 and County Commissioner 1879 until his death in 1897. His name is still on the cornerstone of the "Old Red" Dallas County courthouse. Jeremiah M. Brown enlisted in the 31 St. Texas Cavalry (Hawpe's) during the Civil War, but returned before it ended and became a deputy in Dallas in 1864. He was elected in 1866 as the 10th Dallas County sheriff, but was removed in 1867 by the Military Governor. He was again elected and took office in 1870, serving as sheriff until 1873. In 1878, he was superintendent of the Dallas County Poor Farm. He died in 1878 and is buried at Pioneer Cemetery.

Norvell Robertson Winniford came to Dallas County in 1845, then left in 1850 for the California gold fields. He hit gold and opened a general store in 1851, then returned to Dallas County in 1853. He was a private in Company C., 15th Regiment, Texas Cavalry, C.S.A. serving as a teamster for the Cotton Bureau hauling wartime "Southern" cotton to Mexico to sell. He was appointed Dallas County Sheriff in 1867 and served until 1870, then farmed near Lancaster until his death in 1885. During his term as sheriff, a new brick jail was built, and it would serve for 45 years.

Thus, the little town and county, grew slowly through the years, all travel was afoot or by horse or oxen. Soon the railroads would come from the east and south, and life in the community would never again be the same.