Sheriffs That Served Ellis County
| BRADFORD, William H. H. | Elected August 5, 1850; resigned January 14,
1851. |
| YOUNG, Harvey W. | Appointed February 7, 1851; elected August 2, 1851, and
served until December 1852. |
| PRINCE, Jonathan E. | Appointed December 31, 1852; elected August 7, 1854;
served until August 4, 1856. |
| CARTNEY, James W. | Elected August 4, 1856; resigned February 7, 1858. |
| WILLIAMS, John G. | Appointed February 27, 1858; elected August 2, 1854; served until August 6, 1860 |
| FOSTER, Albert A. | Elected August 6, 1860; resigned April 1861. |
| KING, John | Appointed April 6, 1861 served until August 4, 1862. |
| LANKSFORD, M. B. | Elected August 4, 1862; re-elected August 1, 1864; served until August 31, 1865. |
| SKEIN, Matthew | Appointed August 31, 1865; served until June 25, 1866. |
| SWEATT, George B. | Elected June 25, 1866; resigned December 1866. |
| FOSTER, Charles | Appointed December 24, 1866; served until July 1867 when moved out of the county. |
| WILLIAMS, Peter W. | Appointed July 3, 1867; served until Sept. 16, 1869 when removed by order of Gen. J. J. Reynolds. |
| YARBOROUGH, James | Appointed September 16, 1869 by Gen. Reynolds Special Order; did not qualify. |
| KING, John T. | Elected December 3, 1869; served until February 17, 1870; may have been removed by military order. |
| GOODWYN, C. K. | Appointed February 17, 1870 by special order Gen. J. J. Reynolds; served until December 2, 1873. |
| KING, John T. | Elected December 2, 1873; served until February 15, 1876; moved away for a time but returned and died near Britton. |
| RYBURN, W. D. "Wash" | One of most colorful men elected; served February 15, 1876; re-elected November 5, 1878; November 2, 1880 and served until November 7, 1882; native of Kentucky and a veteran of the Civil War; ran for office again after turn of century, but lost. |
| BRALY, John | Elected November 7, 1882; served until November 4, 1884; native of Arkansas and Civil War veteran. |
| WATT, W. P. | Elected November 6, 1888; re-elected November 4, 1890; served until November 8. 1892; native of Alabama. |
| MEREDITH, James M. | Elected November 8, 1882; served until November 6, 1894; first native of county to hold office; died in Austin. |
| McCUE, W. J. | Elected November 6, 1894; re-elected November 3, 1896 and served until November 8, 1898; twice married; no known descendants; died near Henrietta, Texas. |
| SWEATT, George C. | Elected November 8, 1898; re-elected November 6, 1900; served until November 8, 1902. |
| MINNICK, Joe P. | Elected November 4, 1902; re-elected November 8, 1904 and served until November 6, 1906; was constable at Palmer prior to term as sheriff. |
| FORBES, W. H. | Elected November 6, 1906; re-elected November 3, 1908 and served until November 8, 1910; ran again in 1926 but was defeated by Joe Loe by only five votes. |
| WILSON, A. W. | Elected November 8, 1910; re-elected November 5, 1912; served until November 3, 1914. |
| DEARBORN, Henry | Elected November 3, 1914; re-elected November 7, 1916; served until November 5, 1918 native of Missouri; twice married; was superintendent of Odd Fellows Old Folks Home at Ennis at one time. |
| SWEATT, George C. | Again elected November 5, 1918; re-elected November 2, 1920 and served until death February 4, 1921. Sweatt held many offices during his life, as well as his terms as sheriff. |
| FORBES, W. H. | Appointed February 26, 1921; elected a second time November 2, 1922 and served until January 1, 1925. |
| LOE, Joe | Elected November 4, 1924; re-elected November 2, 1926 and served until January 1, 1929. |
| DAVENPORT, John | Elected November 6, 1928; re-elected November 4, 1930 and served' until January 1, 1933; native of Tennessee. |
| FEARIS, Dave | Elected November 8, 1933; re-elected November 6, 1934 and served until January 1, 1937. |
| ROY, J. E. | Elected November 3, 1936; re-elected November 8, 1938 and served until January 1, 1941. |
| CARIKER, Jess L. | Elected November 5, 1940; re-elected November 3, 1942, November 7, 1944; November 5, 1946 and served until January 1, 1949. Served as president of the Texas Sheriff's Association in 1944. |
| WHITE, Edward Burl | Elected November 2, 1948; re-elected November 7, 1950; November 4, 1952, November 2, 1954 and served until January 1, 1956. |
| McCOLLUM, Wayne | Elected November 6, 1956; re-elected November 8, 1960, November 3, 1964, November 5, 1968, November 7, 1972 and served until January 1, 1977. His twenty years of service is the longest in County history. |
| BOYD, Barney | Elected November 2, 1976; re-elected November 4, 1980; and November 6, 1984 and served until January 1, 1989. |
| GAGE, John | Elected November 8, 1988; served Jan. 1989 to Jan. 1997. [was lawman for thirty-three years.] |
| STEWART, Ray | Elected Nov. 1996; served from Jan. 1996 to Jan. 2009. |
| GAGE, John | Served from Jan 1989 to Jan 1997. [Contributed by Captain Chuck Laubach, 12 Jun. 2011] |
| STEWART, Ray | Elected Nov. 1996. He served from Jan 1996 to Jan. 2009. [Contributed by Captain Chuck Laubach, 12 Jun. 2011] |
| BROWN, Johnny | Elected Nov. 2008. He started his term in Jan. 2009 and is the current sheriff. [Contributed by Captain Chuck Laubach, 12 Jun. 2011] |
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This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:30:19 MDT