| 1822-1823 |
Michael Hart |
|
|
| 1824-1825 |
James Matkin - Was later elected as county
Assessor in 1839 and died while in office in 1840, and was succeeded by Elisha
Matkin. |
|
|
| 1825-1826 |
Charles Hart - Was also elected Presiding
Judge of County Court 1855 and served until 1857. Charles was later appointed as
County Assessor in 1865 and served until 1866. |
|
|
| 1827-1828 |
John Corbin Alexander - Was elected as a
member of State Legislature in 1830 and served until 1836. Alexander was re-elected
again in 1854 and again served until 1856. Alexander ran for the office Circuit
Clerk and Recorder, and won this race serving 1879 until 1899. |
|
|
| 1829-1830 |
Thomas Madison - Also served as County
Assessor 1826 thru 1827. |
|
|
| 1831-1832 |
John Cornell |
|
|
| 1832-1833 |
John Kennedy - Kennedy, was also elected to
County Court in 1846 and served until 1850. |
|
|
| 1833-1834 |
Isaac Mitchell Jr. - Isaac, was appointed in
1834 to succeed George W. Robinson, who had been Presiding Judge of the County
Court, Isaac was elected in 1835 and served in the County Court until 1836. In
1837 Isaac was re-elected this time Presiding Judge of the County Court and served until
1838. Isaac was again elected in 1839 as Presiding Judge of the County Court.
Isaac Mitchell was also County Treasurer from 1836 until 1837. |
|
|
| 1835-1836 |
Henry Hunt |
|
|
| 1836-1838 |
Andrew K. Harris - Harris was also a County
Court Judge in 1840 until 1841. |
|
|
| 1839-1840 |
Ebenezer H. Hibbits |
|
|
| 1841-1842 |
Milton P. Cayce - Cayce had been County
Treasurer in 1837 and held this office until 1840. Cayce then ran for Sheriff and
Collector and was elected in 1841 and held this office until 1842. Cayce then ran
for County Treasurer again and was elected, and served again from 1843 until 1860. |
|
|
| 1843-1846 |
Charles Meyer - Also served St. Francois
County as a County Judge from 1846 until 1850. |
|
|
| 1847-1848 |
Edwin C. Sebastian - Also served as member
of the State Legislature 1869. In 1841 Sebastian had been elected to the office of
County Court. In 1842, again in 1842, 1843, 1844 and 1845 the citizens of St.
Francois County elected Sebastian each year to the office of County Court. Sebastian
was also later a District Assessor in District #1 in 1858. |
|
|
| 1849-1850 |
Samuel S. Boyce |
|
|
| 1851-1854 |
Elisha Arnold |
|
|
| 1855-1858 |
Elisha Matkin - Elisha was appointed to
complete the term of James Matkin upon James death in 1840. Elisha was re-elected to
this office again in 1847 and served in this capacity until 1850. |
|
|
| 1859-1860 |
F.B. Matkin |
|
|
| 1861-1864 |
Thomas S. McMullin - Served as Sheriff from
1861 until 1864 and was later elected again in 1877 and died in office in 1880. |
|
|
| 1865-1865 |
J.L. Resinger (Resigned) |
|
|
| 1865-1866 |
Rufus Alexander |
|
|
| 1867-1871 |
Franklin Murphy - Franklin was born October
16, 1819 on a farm near what is now the city of Farmington. Franklin married Mary
Ann Alley on November 21, 1841. Mary Ann Alley was born in 1823. Franklin
Murphy lived in the area of Big River Mills. Franklin like many others from this
area left and went to California for about 3 years and later returned to St. Francois
County. Franklin was appointed Assessor of District Number 2 through the years 1857
and 1858. Franklin was then elected as Sheriff and Collector about 1867. He
was re-elected to this office and later ran and was elected to the office of County,
Circuit and Probate Courts which also included Recorder of Deeds and Murphy held these
offices until 1874. About 1880 Franklin Murphy moved his family to Delassus,
Missouri this is where he resided until his death in 1904. Franklin Murphy was also
elected in 1880 to serve as County Collector. He served 1881 to 1883 then
retired. Franklin Murphy had also served as a “Justice of the Peace” for
over 15 years. Franklin Murphy and his wife Mary Ann (Alley Murphy had 9 children.
(1) Amanda J. Murphy Yousee (2) Sarah Murphy Cole who was married to Zacharia Cole (3)
Rhoda Murphy Janis who was married to Felix Janis (4) Augusta Murphy Stevenson who was
married to William Stevenson (5) Callie Murphy Keith who was married to James Keith (6)
Jessie Murphy (7) Genevieve Murphy (8) Katherine Murphy (9 ) Thomas H.B. Murphy who
married Martha Bryant. |
|
|
| 1874-1875 |
Laken D. Walker - was township assessor in
St. Francois Township in 1822 and was elected as county Assessor in 1825. Walker was
also elected as Presiding County Court Judge in 1826 and re-elected in 1827. Walker
was appointed as County Assessor in 1860 after William M. Cruncleton resigned (note this
was around the great Civil War Era in St. Francois County and feelings were mixed) and
again was elected to this office 1861 and served until 1862. Laken Walker also
served in State Legislature in 1877. Walker was also called upon and appointed as
Sheriff after the death of Thomas S. McMullin in 1880. |
|
|
| 1875-1877 |
John B. Highley - Elected as Collector in
the election of 1876 this is when the offices of Sheriff and Collector were separated to
two different offices. Highley served as Collector from 1877 until 1879.
Highley had also served as County Assessor from 1871 until 1875. Highley was also
elected Treasurer in 1885 which he served until 1889. |
|
|
|
Offices of Sheriff and
Collector were separated in the election of 1876.
|
|
|
| 1877-1880 |
Thomas S. McMullin - See Thomas McMullin as
Sheriff in years 1861-1864. McMullin died in office in 1880. |
|
|
| 1880-1880 |
Laken D. Walker - See Laken D. Walker
1871-1875 (Appointed) |
|
|
| 1880-1880 |
John B. Benham - Died on December 18,
1880 |
|
|
| 1880-1885 |
Zachariah P. Cole - Son-in-law to former
Sheriff Franklin Murphy. |
|
|
| 1885-1889 |
Peter A. Benham |
|
|
| 1889-1891 |
Mark L. Creegan |
|
|
| 1891-1895 |
Joseph H. Perkins |
|
|
| 1895-1899. |
Willard B. Rariden - served as a postmaster
in 1886. Rariden ran and was elected in fall 1894 as Sheriff and took office in
January 1895 and served as Sheriff until 1899. Rariden also worked as a
Special Agent for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Rariden also served 24 years on the
local school board. |
|
|
| 1899-1903 |
Jefferson D. Highley |
|
|
| 1903-1905 |
Henderson M. Murphy |
|
|
| 1905-1909 |
James J. Croke - From Bonne Terre was better
known than most all of the other candidates in August 1904. James was married to
Laura Porter and had five children. Croke had also been an engineer on the
Mississippi River and Bonne Terre Railroad and had been a member of the “Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers”. Croke was also elected as Collector in 1911 and
served until 1919. |
|
|
| 1909-1913 |
William London - Ran after having been a
Deputy under Sheriff James J. Croke. London won his race in the fall of 1908.
Bill as he was called by most who knew him took office on January 1909 and served until
1913. In 1925 he was again appointed Deputy Sheriff which he held until January 1,
1929. London ran again in the fall of 1928 against Roy E. Presnell in this election
London won overwhelmingly. London was shot while in performance of his duty
attempting to take into custody an insane man by the name of Kassabaum on September 22,
1929 and died September 24, 1929. |
|
|
| 1913-1917 |
Joseph C. Williams - also held the office of
Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds from 1899 until 1907. |
|
|
| 1917-1921 |
Charles H. Adams |
|
|
| 1921-1925 |
John G. Hunt |
|
|
| 1925-1929 |
H.B. Bud Watts - Born 1887 died 1940 Harry
Benson (Bud) Watts who had been critically ill for many months passed away at the New
State Hospital in Farmington. “Bud” as he was affectionately known by most
St. Francois County people was born in Madison County near Cornwall December 19, 1887,
where he lived until young manhood. When he moved to the Leadbelt and accepted
employment with the Lead companies. He was the son of Robert and Elizabeth
Watts. At the time of his death he was 51 years, 1 month and 20 days of age.
On October 19, 1908 he was married to Nettie
C. Laird and to this marriage was born one son Forrest who lived in St. Louis at the time
of Bud’s death. In addition to the wife and son he is survived by one sister
Mrs. Dora Knowes of Cornwall: three brothers U.S. Watts of Detroit; John Watts, Flat
River; and Ed Watts of St. Louis. He was proceeded in death by his parents, two
brothers Arthur and Hiram D. and one sister, Rosa.
In 1924 he was the nominee of the Republican
party in this county for sheriff and won by an overwhelming vote. He served the
county during his term efficiently and with credit to himself. During the past 8
years he had been an employee at the State Hospital. This is where he was working
when his health gave way.
The funeral services were conducted at the
Murphy-Long Memorial Church of which he was a member, on Sunday afternoon, Pastor Rev.
A.C. Johnson having charge of the service. Interment was in the Parkview Cemetery
with Cozean Funeral Service in charge. |
|
|
| 1929-1929 |
William London - See notes William London
1909-1913 (killed in office) |
|
|
| 1929-1929 |
John T. Smith - Smith had served as William
London’s Chief Deputy and upon London’s being shot and killed by Charles
Kassabaum was appointed as Sheriff until a special election could be held. Smith was
the nominee of the Republican party. Smith lost this election in a race with Roy E.
Presnell in October 1929. John T. Smith - Smith had served as William London’s Chief
Deputy and upon London’s being shot and killed by Charles Kassabaum was appointed as
Sheriff until a special election could be held. Smith was the nominee of the
Republican party. Smith lost this election in a race with Roy E. Presnell in October
1929. |
|
|
| 1929-1932 |
Roy E. Presnell - Ran for Sheriff in 1928
against William London and lost |
|
|
| 1932-1936 |
In a special election Presnell the nominee
of the Democrats won in a race against John T. Smith. Presnell ran for County Court
Judge in the fall 1952 and won his race. |
|
|
| 1936-1940 |
A.A. Bayles - Had served as Chief Deputy
under Sheriff Roy E. Presnell and ran for Sheriff in the fall 1935 and took office in
January 1936. |
|
|
| 1940-1944 |
Arthur “BING” Miller |
|
|
| 1944-1948 |
Herman Heck - had served as a Deputy under
Sheriff Miller |
|
|
| 1948-1952 |
Dewey Smallen - Also served as Juvenile
Office of the 24 Circuit |
|
|
| 1952-1956 |
Clay H. Mullins - Sheriff Clay H. Mullins
was first elected in 1952 |
|
|
