OLD DAY SHERIFFS 

Dave Smith was sheriff about eight years. [David Smith was Sheriff from 1870 until 1877, when he resigned.  --E. Weathers] The first of the elected sheriffs, he said others having been appointed by governors. Smith’s father was the famous Gabe Smith. When George Gentry , son of Captain Frederick Gentry, was elected for a second time and resigned. [G. F. Gentry was sheriff from 1878-1884.  Gentry was vice-sheriff from 1888-1886. --E. Weathers] Smith was appointed but died in a few months as a young man. That Gentry served some years along about 1880, and tried it again, but was defeated by Jim Massie. [J. W. Massie was sheriff from 1886-1890, --E. Weathers] He said Gentry was the political boss, whether in office or not.

(Massie was reputed to have been an outstanding sheriff, probably elected after the more civilized Blue Ridge group of people took charge. It is said that the boys were coining in Saturday nights and shooting up the town. He stopped or slowed this up by stationing guards on the roads coming to town and disarming the boys.) (Mr. Arthur R. Eidson and others to the writer.)

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