Our History

Pre- 1836, and Other Discrepancies

David H. Burton, first mentioned as sheriff in 1811 records

John Lain, served as sheriff in period 1814-1822

Mitchell Childress, 1829 exact dates unknown

Sheriff Childress, 1837 exact dates unknown

Sheriff Jones, sheriff in 1839, exact days unknown

James Foresee, listed as high sheriff on 1850 Census which disagrees with the list given below.

B.B. Spicer (First Elected Sheriff)	1836 – 1842
Lemuel McCollum	1842 – 1844
B.B. Spicer	1844 – 1848
Edward Cowen	1848 – 1850
B.B. Spicer	1850 – 1856
J.P. Forsee	1856 – 1858
B.B. Spicer	1858 – 1860
M.M. Massey	1860 – 1868
R.W. Cooley	1868 – 1870
M.M. Box	1870 – 1874
W.A. Short	1874 – 1876
James P. White	1876 – 1880
D.D. Collier	1880 – 1886
J. Hiram Hall	1886 – 1892
J.B. Hall	1892 – 1898
George F. Fentress	1898 – 1902
J. Hiram Hall	1902 – 1904
Ben F. O’Barr	1904 – 1910
Sam Stockard*	1910 – 1914
J.L. Smith	1914 – 1920
W.B. Bryant	1920 – 1922
J.L. Smith	1922 – 1928
Walter McNeil	1928 – 1934
J.S. Westbrook	1934 – 1938
Frank James	1938 – 1942
Ralph Hooper	1942 – 1946
Bliss Dodson	1946 – 1946
Trent Westbrook	1946 – 1952
Lawrence Bradley	1952 – 1954
J.C. Carter	1954 – 1960
Herschel M. Bone**	1960 – 1962
M. Lurton McNeil	1962 – 1964
Howard Deck	1964 – 1966
Connie Runyons	1966 – 1972
Bill Bell	1972 – 1976
E.C. Hall	1976 – 1980
Ronnie Toungette	1980 – 2006
Chris Davis	2006 – Present

Below are some excerpts from the County Technical Assistance Service website.

The following acts once affected jails and prisoners in Humphreys County, but are no longer operative.

1. Acts of 1809, Chapter 66, was the basis for the Justices of the Peace in Montgomery County to lay a tax to build a district jail in the City of Clarksville for the Robertson District. The Courts of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of the Counties of Robertson, Dickson, Hickman, Stewart, and Humphreys were also authorized to levy a tax in the year 1810 in order to produce their respective shares of the cost of the District Jail.
2. Private Acts of 1823, Chapter 99, directed the Humphreys County Court to appoint commissioners to build a public jail, and directed the treasurer of Humphreys County to pay over to said commissioners all monies in his hands collected from the sale of the lots in Reynoldsburg. The commissioners would purchase a lot in Reynoldsburg for the purpose of erecting a jail.
3. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 145, permitted the County Courts of Humphreys County and Benton County to sell the jails and public prisons and purchase others, and to sell, remove and rebuild their court houses. Humphreys County would divide the proceeds equally with Benton County.
4. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 19, directed the Comptroller of the State Treasury to pay to James McGhee of Humphreys County the sum of $31.12½ for keeping in jail certain negroes who were placed there at the instance of the State of Tennessee.

The following acts have no current effect but are included here for reference purposes since they once applied to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.

1. Public Acts of 1825, Chapter 36, Section 5, provided that any Coroner who might be hereafter appointed by the County Court of Humphreys County would not be compelled to take or receive any capias ad satisfaciendum on any judgment heretofore rendered against the Sheriff of the County and others jointly.
2. Private Acts of 1825, Chapter 136, made it lawful for the Sheriffs of the counties of Humphreys, Perry, and Hardin, the Rangers, and the other public officers to advertise the sale of lands to be sold under execution, or for taxes, and the sale of strays to be made in some public newspaper in the City of Jackson in Madison County.

Source: https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/private-acts/law-enforcement-historical-notes-89