Upshur County was created in 1846 from Harrison and Nacogdoches Counties and was named for Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of State in Tyler's cabinet.  The county was organized in 1846 with Gilmer as the county seat.  There have been thirty-one men who have served as sheriff during the history of the county with one of them serving three times and three of them serving twice.

G. C. PATILLO was elected the first sheriff on July 13, 1846; re-elected August 7, 1848 and served until August 5, 1850.

OBA E. ROBERTS was elected on August 5, 1850; re-elected August 2, 1852 and served until August 7, 1854.

GEORGE B. MEDLIN was elected on August 7, 1854; re-elected August 4, 1856 and served until October 1857 when he resigend.

ALEX EARP was appointed on October 12, 1857 and served until August 6, 1860.  He is the father of Alexander Earp, who served 1882-1884 (this is a mistake.  Alex Earp and Alexander Earp are the same person)

LEANDER J. DAVIE was elected on August 6, 1860 and served until August 4, 1862.

JOHN S. MARSHALL was elected on August 4, 1862 and served until August 1, 1864.

J. STUTMAN was elected on August 1, 1864 and served until September 27, 1865.

JOSEPH STEELMAN was appointed on September 27, 1865 by Governor A. J. Hamilton and served until June 25, 1866.  Due to the spelling I wonder if J. Stutman and Joseph Steelman are one and the same person?

J. B. RAGLAND was elected on June 25, 1866 and served until July 1869 when he was disqualified.

J. A. McDONALD was appointed on July 27, 1869 by General J. J. Reynolds' Special Order #176 and served until December 3, 1869.

B. F. HUMPHREYS was elected on December 3, 1869; re-elected December 2, 1873 and served until February 15, 1876.

J. W. HACKLER (John Wesley) was elected on February 15, 1876; re-elected November 5, 1878 and served until November 2, 1880.

JOHN W. WILLEFORD was elected on November 2, 1880 and served until November 7, 1882.

ALEXANDER EARP was elected on November 7, 1882 and served until November 4, 1884.  He is the son of Sheriff Alex Earp.  The state marker in the Hopewell Cemetery shows he was born August 10, 1832, in Alabama; was a Confederate Captain; and died March 5, 1920. (he was not the son of Alex Earp, he was Alex Earp who was sheriff in 1857-1860)

T.H. CHANDLER was elected November 4, 1884 and served until November 2, 1886.

JOHN W. WILLEFORD was elected a second time on November 2, 1886 and served until November 6, 1894.

(NOTE: Alexander Senkevitch sends in this information:  In Doyal T. Loyd's book "A History of Upshur County, Texas" on pg. 71, he has a list of sheriffs that includes a T.B. Littlepage, who would have served during the latter half of John W. Willeford's second term shown above. According to notes written by D. Loyd on the dust jacket of a copy of his book that was sent to my family, T.B. Littlepage was elected 11/11/1890 and served in 1891. I know that "Tom Littlepage" existed in Gilmer based on one of the transcribed historical markers that you have listed.)

S. J. MONGHAN was elected on November 6, 1894; re-elected November 3, 1896 and served until November 8, 1898.

W. L. SPENCER was elected on November 8, 1898; re-elected November 6, 1900 and served until November 4, 1902.

W. L. WILLIFIRD (should be Willeford) was elected on November 4, 1902; re-elected November 8, 1904 and served until November 6, 1906.

L. A. LATCH was elected on November 6, 1906; re-elected November 3, 1908, November 8, 1910 and served until November 5, 1912.

B. C. BUIE was elected on November 5, 1912; re-elected November 3, 1914 and served until November 7, 1916.

L. A. LATCH was elected a second time on November 7, 1916 and served until November 5, 1918.

JUDGE W. "WES" BRYCE was elected on November 5, 1918; re-elected November 2, 1920, November 7, 1922, November 4, 1924 and served until January 1, 1927.

JOE A. LATCH was elected on November 2, 1926; re-elected November 6, 1928 and served until January 1, 1931.

J. M. SEAGO was elected on November 4, 1930; re-elected November 8, 1932 and served until January 1, 1935.

JUDGE W. "WES" BRYCE was elected a second time on November 6, 1934, re-elected November 3, 1936 and served until January 1, 1939.  Sheriff Bryce died May 10, 1973 at Longview, Texas.

GORDON ANDERSON was elected on November 8, 1938; re-elected November 5, 1940, November 3, 1942 and served until January 1, 1944.

POSEY SEAGO was elected on November 7, 1944; re-elected November 5, 1946 and served until January 1, 1949.

OREAR WATSON was elected on November 2, 1948; re-elected November 7, 1950, November 4, 1952 and served until January 1, 1955.

T. H. "HUB" OWEN was elected on November 2, 1954; re-elected November 6, 1956 and served until January 1, 1961.

POSEY SEAGO was elected a second time on November 8, 1960 and served until January 1, 1965.  Sheriff Seago died December 13, 1972.

DOYLE E. JOHNSON was elected on November 3, 1964; re-elected November 5, 1968, November 7, 1972, November 2, 1976 and served until January 1, 1981.  Sheriff Johnson served a total of sixteen years which is the longest in the history of Upshur County.

DALE JEWKES was elected on November 4, 1980; re-elected November 6, 1984 and served until January 1, 1989.  Sheriff Jewkes was born August 16, 1938 and has been a lawman for twenty-five years.  He and his wife Judy live in Gilmer.  Their children are Kent and Sherry.

R. D. 'BUCK" CROSS was elected on November 8, 1988 and is currently serving as sheriff.  He was born August 22, 1932 and has been in law enforcement for twenty-eight years.  Sheriff Cross and his wife Ellaween live in Gilmer, Texas.

 

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