History Page

History Of Sheriffs

1.               James M. Swinney 1874-1877 (Appointed upon formation of Hinsdale
         County)

2.               Henry Finley 1877-1878

3.               James Hanrahan 1878-1880

4.               *Edward N. Campbell 1880-1882 (Killed in Line of Duty)

5.               Clair Smith 1882-1885 (Appointed) (Served during first Trial of Alferd
        Packer)

6.               O. A. Baker 1885-1886

7.               George F. Gardner 1886-1892

8.               Terrance Brennan 1892-1896

9.               D. McCafferty 1896-1897

10.            James W. Deck 1898-1902

11.            A. P. Truesdale 1902-1904

12.            Harry Youmans 1904-1908

13.            William P. Hunt 1908-1909

14.            James W. Deck 1909-1914 (Died in Office)

15.            Edward H. Graves (D) 1914 (Appointed)

16.            Ben F. Hunt (R) 1914-1924

17.            Hugh Coburn (D) 1924-1946 (Died in Office)

18.            M. G. (Shorty) Rexroad (R) 1946-1950

19.            Unknown

20.            A. P. (Brick) Griffiths (R) 1952-1954 (Resigned)

21.            Lloyd M. (Mickey) Pavich 9/7/54-11/8/54

22.            Glen A. Hunt (R) 1954-1955 (Killed in Car Accident)

23.            Joseph M. Vickers (R) 1955 (Appointed/Resigned)

24.            Robert F. Wheeler (R) 1955 - 1956 (Appointed/Resigned)

25.            Albert Etling (R) 1956-1960 (Appointed/Resigned)

26.            Robert F. Wheeler (R) 1/11/60-11/13/60 (Appointed/Resigned)

27.            Maxwell D. Hersinger (R) 1960-1972 (Elected)

28.            Charles Colopy (R) 1972-1976 (Elected/Resigned)

29.            Thomas Atkins 1977 (Served Two Weeks - Resigned)

30.            James Skinner (R) 1977 (Appointed)

31.            Burton E. Smith (D) 1977-1990 (Elected)

32.            L. Franklin Wilcox (R) 1991-1994 (Elected/Resigned)

33.            **Roger D. Coursey (R) 8/94-11/94 (Appointed/Elected) (Killed in Line of
        Duty)

34.            Raymond J. Blaum, Jr. (R) 1994-1997 (Appointed/Elected/Resigned)

35.            William B. Denison (R) 1997- 2007 (Appointed/Elected)

36.            Ronald B. Bruce (R) 2007 - Present (Elected)

 *4. Sheriff Campbell was shot and killed during an attempted home burglary.  Betts & Browning, killers of Sheriff Campbell ,were lynched by a town mob from the Ball Flats bridge on April 27, 1882 at 1:00A.M. Sheriff Campbell was the second Colorado peace officer killed in the line of duty.

**33. Sheriff Coursey was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Sheriff Wilcox in August of 1994.. He was elected as Sheriff on November 10, 1994.  On November 18, 1994, he was shot and killed instantly while stopping two suspected bank burglars fleeing from Creede. His murder's bodies were found a month later having committed suicide approximately one-half mile from where they shot Sheriff Coursey.