Our History
A millennium of service and protection
Ancient Origins
The office of Sheriff dates back at least to the reign of Alfred the Great in England, and some scholars even argue that the office of Sheriff was first created during the Roman occupation of England.
Around 500 A.D., Germanic tribes from Europe (called the Anglo-Saxons) began an invasion of Celtic England, which eventually led, over the centuries, to the consolidation of Anglo-Saxon England as a unified kingdom under Alfred the Great late in the ninth Century. Alfred divided England into geographic units called "shires" (or counties).
In 1066, William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxons and instituted his own Norman government in England. Both under the Anglo-Saxons and under the Normans, the King of England appointed a representative called a "reeve" to act on behalf of the king in each shire or county. The "shire-reeve" or King's representative in each county became the "Sheriff" as the English language changed over the years. The shire-reeve or Sheriff was the chief law enforcement officer of each county in the year 1000 A.D. They still have the same function in Indiana today.
The Office in Indiana
Indiana's first constitution, adopted in 1816 when Indiana joined the Union, created the office of Sheriff as an elected official in each county. The concepts of "county" and "Sheriff" were essentially the same as they had been during the previous 900 years of English legal history. Because of the English heritage of the American colonies, the new United States adopted the English law and legal institutions as its own.
Indiana's constitution of 1851 also included the creation of the office of Sheriff in the same form as the 1816 document. Constitutional amendments in 1948 and 1952 have changed the term of office of the Sheriff, but the constitutional provisions establishing the office itself remains the same as it was in 1816, which in turn is strikingly similar to the functioning of the office of Sheriff at the time of Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror. The major difference, of course, is that the Kings of England appointed their Sheriffs. From the earliest times in America, our Sheriffs have been elected by the people to serve as the principal law enforcement officer of each county.
DeKalb County Timeline
1837-1850: The First Jail
The first DeKalb County Jail was authorized by the DeKalb County Commissioners on May 9, 1838, several years before a permanent courthouse was authorized. The Jail was to be built of logs. The jail was apparently located on the square but this cannot be confirmed.
Early Sheriffs:
- • Wesley Park
- • Thomas J. Freeman
- • Jonathon Puffenbarger
- • S. W. Ralston
1852-1875: The Second Jail
The 2nd jail was contracted for 1851 and completed in 1852 on the southeast corner of the public square. It cost $1,000 and was an improvement over the log jail. In 1887 it was moved to the northeast corner of Cedar and Ninth Street and used for the Auburn Town Hall and Fire Barn.
Sheriffs of this era:
- • 1850-54 — W. K. Straight
- • 1854-56 — Isaac Brandt
- • 1856-60 — S. W. Ralston
- • 1860-62 — J. N. Chamberlain
- • 1862-68 — J. N. Miller
- • 1868-72 — H. Willis
1875-1919: The Third Jail
The 3rd jail was a handsome structure designed by T. J. Tolan & Son of Toledo and later of Fort Wayne. It was built by James R. Duncan, William Crane, and Harmon Lydecker of Waterloo at a total cost of $28,647. It was equipped with triple gates and the latest Scandinavian locks. The building was located on the southeast corner of the public square and remained there for several years after the present courthouse was built.
Sheriffs (1872-1916):
- • 1872-76 — W. L. Meese
- • 1876-78 — John St. Clair
- • 1878-82 — A. S. Lease
- • 1882-86 — John W. Boyle
- • 1886-88 — K. Garrison
- • 1888-90 — J. Plum
- • 1890-92 — Phillip Plum
- • 1892-94 — George C. Ralston
- • 1894-98 — Henry P. Stroh
- • 1898-1902 — John Hathaway
- • 1902-04 — George W. Bleeks
- • 1904-08 — James W. Reed
- • 1908-12 — R. L. Thomas
- • 1912-16 — John P. Hoff (D)
1919-1985: The Fourth Jail
The contract for the new jail was let May 28, 1917, to H. H. Ackemere of Auburn for $52,940. The final cost was $89,535. The jail was as modern as any jail in the county at the time. It was located on the public square at the southeast quadrant of Eighth and Cedar Streets. The jail was first occupied on January 15, 1919 and served the county well for over 65 years.
Sheriffs (1916-1987):
- • 1916-20 — Frank Baltz (D)
- • 1920-22 — Twite L. Hoodelmier (R)
- • 1922-26 — William G. Morr (D)
- • 1926-30 — John C. Armstrong (D)
- • 1930-34 — John P. Hoff (D)
- • 1934-38 — Herbert N. Grimm (D)
- • 1938-42 — Artus Coyle (R)
- • 1942-46 — Paul F. Miller (R)
- • 1946-58 — Frank E. Carpenter (R)
- • 1958-66 — Dorsie A. Likens (R)
- • 1966-73 — James D. Sims (R)
- • 1973-78 — John L. Graham (R)
- • 1979-82 — Larry E. Myers (R)
- • 1983-87 — Larry Metcalf (R)
Historical Photos
1985-Present: Modern Facility
Construction started on the new DeKalb County Jail on April 23, 1984, at the cost of $2.86 million dollars. The facility contains 27,500 square feet. This facility has a Central Control room which has complete security control over the entire facility and also serves as the Communications Center for the Sheriff's Department county-wide communications.
Modern Era Sheriffs:
- • 1987-1994 — Donald Crowl (D)
- • 1995-2002 — Jay A. Oberholtzer (R)
- • 2003-2010 — John Dennis (R)
- • 2011-2018 — Donald Lauer (R)
- • 2019-2022 — David G. Cserep II (R)
- • 2023-Present — Brady N. Thomas (R)
From ancient England to modern Indiana, the office of Sheriff has endured for over a millennium, adapting to serve each generation while maintaining its core mission of protecting and serving the community.