Sheriffs of Nodaway County
1845-2016
Compiled by Susan Cronk
On June 3, 1813, the office of sheriff was created in the new state of Missouri. Prior to 1873, the county sheriff also acted as county collector of taxes. After 1873, Nodaway County transferred those duties to an elected treasurer.
Initially, sheriffs in Missouri were elected to two-year terms, up until the election of 1908. Beginning in 1909, and continuing through today, county sheriffs serve a four-year term in office.
The Constitution of Missouri, enacted in 1875, limited a sheriff to one two-year term of office. They could not, under law, succeed themselves in the next successive term. They could, however, skip a term and run for reelection. The restriction against consecutive terms was not removed until the 1945 Constitution of Missouri took effect. Despite this, several Nodaway County sheriffs did run and win reelection for a second and even a third term in the early part of the county’s history. These were: James Pennington, Henry Toel, William Collins, Benjamin Pixler, James Anderson, John Ham, Scribner Beech, and James Enis.
James B. Prather was and remains the youngest man ever elected to the office of sheriff in Nodaway County. He was twenty-five years old.
TERM NAME POLITICAL PARTY
1845 -1846 Bartlett Woodward Curl Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1847-1848 Caleb S. Burns Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1849-1850 James Pennington Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1851-1852 James Pennington Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1853-1854 James Pennington Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1855 Stephen M. Jester Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1856 James B. Prather Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1857 John W. Evans Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1858-1859 Benjamin Franklin Torrance Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1860 Thomas Jefferson McQuiddy Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1861-1862 Stephen M. Jester Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1862-63 William Swinford Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1864-1865 Joseph Eusebius Alexander Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1866 Isaac Newton “Newt” Wray Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1867-1868 John Ham Sheriff/Collector Republican
1869 John Ham Sheriff/Collector Republican
1870 J.F. Bainum Sheriff/Collector Republican
1871-1872 Isaac Newton “Newt” Wray Sheriff/Collector Unknown
1873 Scribner Rossel Beech Republican
1874-1875 Scribner Rossel Beech Republican
1876-1877 Joseph M. Cooper Democrat
1878-1879 Henry J. Toel Republican
1880-1881 Henry J. Toel Republican
1882-1883 James Anderson Unknown
1884-1885 James Anderson Unknown
1886-1887 Frank Owens Democrat
1888-1889 Thomas J. Parle Republican
1890-1891 Bernard “Barney” Moran Democrat
1892-1893 Benjamin F. “Mac” Pixler Republican
1894-1895 Benjamin F. “Mac” Pixler Republican
1896 Benjamin F. “Mac” Pixler Republican
1897-1898 William H. Collins Democrat
1899-1900 William H. Collins Democrat
1901-1902 James N. Enis Republican
1903-1904 James N. Enis Republican
1905-1906 George L. Evans Republican
1907-1908 William “Billy” Tilson Republican
1909-1912 William “Billy” Tilson Republican
1913-1916 Edwin Wallace Democrat
1917-1918 John F. Dowden Republican
1921-1924 Steve A. Roach Republican
1925-1928 Lowell B. Campbell Democrat
1929-1932 Harve England Democrat
1933-1936 Edwin Wallace Democrat
1937-1940 Royal “Roy” Edgar Sellers Republican
1941-1944 Delma E Carmichael Democrat
1945-1948 Earl M. Anderson Republican
1949-1952 Earl M. Anderson Republican
1953-1956 Earl M. Anderson Republican
1957-1958 Earl M. Anderson Republican
March 11, 1958
James E. Tucker * Democrat
1959-1962 James E. Tucker Democrat
1963-1964 James E. Tucker Democrat
1965-1968 Fred L. Newton Republican
1969 Fred L. Newton ** Republican
July 1, 1969 John F. Middleton *** Republican
July 22, 1969 John F. Middleton **** Republican
1971-1972 John F. Middleton Republican
1973-1976 John F. Middleton Republican
1977-August 6, 1980
Roger Edward Cronk ***** Democrat
Aug 6, 1980 – Nov 4, 1980
John F. Middleton Republican
Nov 4, 1980 – Dec 31, 1980 -
Danny Estes Democrat
1981-1984 Danny Estes Democrat
1985-1988 David McClain Republican
1989-1992 Danny Estes Democrat
1993-1996 Ben Espey Republican
1997-2000 Ben Espey Republican
2001-2004 Ben Espey Republican
2005-2008 Ben Espey Republican
2009-2012 Darren White Democrat
2013-2016 Darren White Democrat
2017-2020 Randy Strong Republican
2021- present Randy Strong Republican
* Died in car wreck Feb 24, 1958; County Coroner Dr. B.F. Byland appointed acting sheriff until March 11, 1958
** Drowned in Mississippi River, Red Wing, Minnesota when boat sank Friday, June 27, 1969; Dr. Dunshee named acting sheriff.
*** John Middleton appointed interim sheriff.
**** John Middleton elected to office in special election
***** Sheriff Roger Cronk resigns from office after winning Democratic primary; John Middleton appointed interim sheriff until November regular election. Danny Estes is elected sheriff in November.
Below is an excerpt generously provided from local author Susan Cronk's book, The Human Squirrel Cage: Nodaway County's Rotary Jail. For more information on this and other local history projects visit susancronk.com.
History
Nodaway County Sheriff's Office
404 N. Vine
Maryville, MO 64468
1-660-582-7451