History of Kanawha County Sheriffs

Picture of former deputies infront of jail
NAMETERMPARTY
1. Thomas LewisOct. 1, 1789 to July 2, 1792Appointed
2. William ClendeninJuly 2, 1792 to October 6, 1793Appointed
3. Francis WatkinsOctober 7, 1793 to November 14, 1795Appointed
4. George AldersonNovember 14, 1795 to March 7, 1796Appointed
5. William ClendeninMarch 7, 1796 to August 7, 1797Appointed
6. George AldersonAugust 7, 1797 to April 11, 1798Appointed
7. Leonard MorrisApril 11, 1798 to August 13, 1799Appointed
8. Samuel MorrisAugust 13, 1799 to November 12, 1799Appointed
9. James Van BibberNovember 12, 1799 to January 13, 1801Appointed
10. William Morris Sr.January 13, 1801 to September 14, 1802Appointed
11. Andrew Donnally IISeptember 14, 1802 to October 10, 1804Appointed
12. Joseph RuffnerOctober 10, 1804 to October 13, 1805Appointed
13. William MorrisOctober 13, 1805 to October 13, 1806Appointed
14. David MilburnSeptember 9, 1806 to September 13, 1808Appointed
15. Samuel ShrewsburySeptember 13, 1808 to March 13, 1811Appointed
16. William MorrisMarch 13, 1811 to October 13, 1812Appointed
1 7. John Shrews buryOctober 13, 1812 to April 13, 1814Appointed
18. Carrol MorrisApril 13, 1814 to May 15, 1816Appointed
19. William CottleMay 15, 1816 to July 14, 1818Appointed
20. Daniel RuffnerJuly 14, 1818 to March 4, 1820Appointed
21. Matthew McGownMarch 4, 1820 to December 26, 1820Appointed
22. John W. WilsonMarch 14, 1821 to October 11, 1822Appointed
23. Andrew Donnally Jr.October 11, 1822 to December 13, 1824Appointed
24. David RuffnerDecember 13, 1824 to January 8, 1825Appointed
25. David MilburnMarch 12, 1827 to December 12, 1828Appointed
26. John Hansford Jr.December 12, 1828 to March 14, 1831Appointed
27. Claudius BusterMarch 14, 1831 to March 11, 1833Appointed
28. Thomas MatthewsMarch 11, 1833 to December 6, 1834Appointed
29. James B. RustDecember 6, 1834 to Unknown Date 1835Appointed
30. William F. StylesUnknown Date 1835 to March 1836Appointed
31. William Spence HuttMarch 1836 to March 11, 1838Appointed
32. John HarrimanMarch 12, 1838 to March 11, 1839Appointed
33. Daniel RuffnerMarch 11, 1839 to March 8, 1841Appointed
34. John SlackMarch 8, 1841 to March 13, 1843Appointed
35. Andrew Donnally IIMarch 13, 1843 to March 11, 1845Appointed
36. Jessie HudsonMarch 11, 1845 to March 8, 1847Appointed
37. James StatonMarch 8, 1847 to 1848Appointed
38. Robert Hairston Early1848 to March 18, 1849Appointed
39. John P. TurnerMarch 19, 1849 to March 17, 1851Appointed
40. John Hansford Jr.March 17, 1851 to July 1, 1852Appointed
41. James Henry FryJuly 1, 1852 to July 1, 1854Elected
42. John Slack Jr.July 1, 1854 to Dec. 31, 1858 (2 terms)REP
43. Enos S. ArnoldJanuary 1, 1859 to June 17, 1861DEM
44. John SlackJr.June 17, 1861 to October 24, 1861DEM
45. James AtkinsonMarch 1 7, 1862 to January 1, 1863UNK
46. John Slack Jr.1863 to 1866DEM
47. John W. Sentz1867 to 1870UNK
48. Phillip W. Morgan1871 to 1876UNK
49. John H. Rosier1877 to 1880REP
50. Robert Graves Hubbard1881 to 1884DEM
51. S. H. Ewart1885 to 1888PEOPLES
52. Roman Pickens1889 to 1892UNK
53. Peter Sillman1893 to 1896REP
54. John Henry Copenhaver1897 to 1900REP
55. John Jarrett1901 to 1904REP
56. John J. Melton1905 to 1908UNK
57. Samuel Preston Smith1909 to 1912REP
58. Bonner Hill1913 to 1916REP
59. Squire Bennett Jarrett1917 to 1920DEM
60. Henry A. Walker1921 to 1924REP
61. L. Christopher Massey1925 to 1928REP
62. D. L. Stephenson1929 to 1932DEM
63. R. Carl Andrews1933 to 1936DEM
64. John Mark “Mick” Slack1937 to 1940DEM
65. N. R. Henderson1941 to 1944DEM
66. David Earl Brawley1945 to 1948DEM
67. Carson Richards1949 to 1950DEM
68. Al. C. Carey1951 to 1956REP
69. T. H. “Pat” McGovern1957 to 1960DEM
70. Dewey E. S. Kuhn1961 to 1964DEM
71. G. Kemp Melton1965 to 1968DEM
72. E. M. “Pete” Johnson1969 to 1972DEM
73. G. Kemp Melton1973 to 1980DEM
74. Carl W. Withrow1981 to 1984DEM
75. Danny Jones1985 to 1988REP
76. Arden “Art” Ashley1989 to 1996DEM
77. David Tucker1997 to 2004DEM
78. Michael Y. Rutherford2005 to 2012DEM
79. Jonathan D. Rutherford2013 to 2016DEM
80. Michael Y. Rutherford2017-2024DEM
81. Joseph H. Crawford2025-CURRENTREP

INTERESTING FACTS

  • Captain William Clendenin was wounded in the battle of Point Pleasant
  • Sheriff Leonard Morris was a veteran of the Battle of Point Pleasant
  • Sheriff Matthew McGown died in office
  • 1850 James C. McFarland was appointed Sheriff but advised that he would in no way accept the post
  • Sheriff James Henry Fry was the first elected Sheriff. The term was for two (2) years
  • Sheriff Enos S. Arnold resigned the Sheriffs Office and was replaced by John Slack who was the court cryer. It is believed that Sheriff Arnold was faithful to “01 “‘ Virginia and would not swear an oath to the United States when Virginia succeeded from the Union. He enlisted in the Confederate Army as a Quartermaster
  • Sheriff John H. Rosier was a veteran of the 23rd Ohio Infantry in the Civil War
  • Sheriff John Mark “Mick” Slack is the son of Sheriff John Slack Jr.
  • Sheriff Melton was the first sheriff to be elected for two consecutive 4-year terms after a constitutional amendment was ratified
  • Sheriff Michael Y. Rutherford and Sheriff Jonathan D. Rutherford are brothers
  • Sheriff Michael Y. Rutherford is the longest serving Sheriff of Kanawha County serving 4 terms