Some History of the Sheriff's Office
Converse County was named for a stockman and Cheyenne banker, Amasa R. Converse. The county was established March 9, 1888. Currently there are 4265 square miles, 22 townships and 5 zip codes under the Sheriff's jurisdiction. Douglas was established as the county seat on May 18, 1888 where the Converse County Sheriff's keeps it's offices.
Malcolm Campbell was sworn in as Territorial Sheriff until the election in November of 1888. Newly elected Sheriff John T. Williams narrowly beat out Campbell by 39 votes becoming Converse's first sheriff. Since that time 19 men have served as the county's top lawman.
Malcom Campbell and John Torrence Williams. Courtesy of Ann Gorzalka
Malcolm Campbell 1888-1892
Frank Virden 1893-1896
Josiah “Joe” Hazen 1897-1899
Thomas S. Cook 1899-1900
John W. McDermott 1901-1906
Charles Messenger 1907-1912
Albert Peyton 1913-1914
Charles Messenger 1915-1922
Albert Peyton 1923-1933
William Silver 1933-1942
Clyde Ivester 1943-1946
Al Lass 1946-1954
Earl Heflin 1955-1958
John W. Owens 1959-1962
Elmer Bloem 1963-1964
Jim Caldwell 1964-1970
Morris Thomason 1971-1976
Dean Parks 1976-1978
Charles “Chuck” Widick 1979-1982
John F. Bey 1983-2006
Clinton B. Becker 2007-Present
Sheriff Joe Hazen was killed while performing his duties attempting to apprehend a group of train robbers including the infamous Kid Curry. Sunday June 4, 1899 Sheriff Hazen and Natrona County Sheriff Oscar Hiestand led a posse after the outlaw group accompanied by Deputy Samuel Jenkins and and Sheriff Jesse Tyler of Grand County, Utah along with Patrolmen Robert Saylor and William Dinwiddie of the Knoxville, Tennesee Police Dept. That fateful day Patrolmen Saylor and Dinwiddie were gunned down and Sheriff Hazen took a bullet to the stomach, dying the next day as a result of the wound.
Kid Curry was subsequently tried and convicted for his involvement in the murders, yet escaped from the local jail before being transported to prison.
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