| 1774 |
Juan
Perez commands the first Spanish expedition to explore
the Northwest Coast and sights the Olympic Mountains. |
| 1775 |
Bruno
de Hezeta lands on the Washington coast and claims the
area for Spain. |
| 1778 |
James
Cook (British) explores and charts the Northwest Coast. |
| 1790 |
Manual
Quimper (Spanish) takes formal possession of Neah Bay
for Spain on August 1, 1790. |
| 1792 |
Robert
Gray (American) names the Columbia River after his ship.
George Vancouver (British) explores and names Puget Sound.
Spain establishes the first non-Indian settlement in Washington
at Neah Bay. |
| 1808 |
The
Russian sailing ship "St. Nicholas", with 21
on board, is wrecked near Destruction Island in what is
present day Jefferson County on November 1, 1808. The
survivors were taken as slaves by the Quileute Indians
and held for nearly 3 years. 13 were eventually ransomed
by Capt. Brown of the U.S.S. "Lydia" in May
1811. |
| 1841 |
United
States naval expedition, headed by Charles Wilkes, explores
Port Townsend Bay and other points in Washington. |
| 1843-1845 |
First
large pioneer immigration to area of modern day Oregon
and Washington occurs and temporary government established. |
| 1846 |
Treaty
between United States and Great Britain sets U.S. boundary
at 49th parallel in 1846. |
| 1848 |
Oregon
Territory created in 1848. |
| 1851-1852 |
Port
Townsend's first white settlers arrived on April 24, 1851,
a year before those in Seattle. By May of 1852, the total
population of Port Townsend consisted of three families
and fifteen bachelors. Jefferson County, Oregon Territory
was created from the original Lewis County, Oregon Territory
on December 22, 1852. The first sawmill in the county
was established at Port Ludlow in 1852. Port Townsend
Post Office established in 1852. |
| 1853 |
Henry
C. Wilson - The first Sheriff of Jefferson County
was appointed by the Oregon Territorial Legislature. Washington
Territory was created on March 2, 1853 from the northern
portion of the Oregon Territory. Isaac Ingalls Stevens
was the first appointed Washington Territorial governor. |
| 1854 |
W.F.
Sayward - Appointed Jefferson County Sheriff
by the Washington Territorial Legislature. He was the
owner of the Port Ludlow saw mill. In 1854, the U.S. government
moved the location of the Customs headquarters from Olympia
to Port Townsend to help combat the smuggling of liquor,
opium, and illegal aliens. This brought the remote outpost
of Port Townsend into immediate prominence. Because every
vessel entering or departing Puget Sound had to stop and
clear at the Port of Entry, Port Townsend became the leading
shipping port north of San Francisco. |
| 1854 |
H.H.
McNeal - Appointed Jefferson County Sheriff by
the Washington Territorial Legislature. He was a mill
operator by trade. Clallam County was formed from the
northern half of Jefferson County by the Washington Territorial
Legislature. |
1855-1856
|
E.S.
Fowler - The first elected Sheriff of Jefferson
County. The first fort constructed here, named Fort Wilson,
was built in 1855 to protect the new settlement of Port
Townsend from attack. This fort was abandoned in 1856
when hostilities ended and was replaced by Fort Townsend
the same year. |
| 1857 |
Loren
Brown Hastings - Election held September 15,
1856. He resigned while in office on October 26, 1857
and George W. Eby was appointed to replace him. |
| 1857 |
George
W. Eby - Elected November 9, 1857 by a vote of
48 to 7. Port Ludlow Post Office established in 1857. |
| 1859-1860 |
Sam
McCurdy - He was also Port Townsend's first doctor,
arriving here in 1855. The 1860 Census listed 531 for
the county, including 258 in Port Townsend. The city incorporated
on January 16, 1860. |
1861
|
John
A. Tucker - Resigned from office and left county.
J.G. Clinger appointed to replace him. U.S. Civil War
begins in 1861. Port Discovery (Discovery Bay) Post Office
established in 1861. Customs Port of Entry moved from
Port Townsend to Port Angeles. |
1862
|
J.G.
Clinger - Appointed May 6, 1862. |
| 1862 |
F.L.
Tibbals - Elected July 12, 1862, but resigned
from office on February 2, 1863. William W. Armstrong
appointed to replace him. |
| 1863-1864 |
William
W. Armstrong - Sheriff William W. Armstrong
was sworn into office on February 13, 1863 after he was
appointed to the office. He was later elected to the
office. He lead a search party for a little lost girl
during a bitter snowstorm shortly before Christmas. He
stayed out for many hours over several days during which
he contracted a cold that turned into pneumonia from
which he died at the age of about 35 years. |
1865-1866
|
John
H. Woodley - Appointed on January 9, 1865. Elected
in his own right on June 5, 1865. Sued by County Commissioners
on September 6, 1865 for "Neglect of Duty".
Customs Port of Entry moved back to Port Townsend from
Port Angeles. |
| 1867-1870 |
David
M. Littlefield - Elected June 7, 1867. City of
Port Townsend petitions to use County Jail for their prisoners.
The Census listed 690 for the county, including 537 in
Port Townsend. |
1871-1876
|
J.J.H.
Van Bokkelen - Elected on June 4, 1870. He was
also elected Representative to the Washington Territorial
Assembly. First Courthouse built in 1874. |
| 1877-1883 |
Benjamin
S. Miller - Elected on November 7, 1876. After
retiring, he moved to Seattle and was later killed by
a train in downtown Seattle. Chimacum Post Office established
in 1878. Point Wilson lighthouse built in 1879. Irondale,
Leland, Quileute, and Quilcene Post Offices established
in 1881. The Census listed 1,268 for the county, including
917 in Port Townsend. |
1884-1888
|
John
F. Sheehan - Elected in November of 1884. "Alexander's
Castle" built in 1888 on what was to become Fort
Worden. County census shows 2,683 people. Port Hadlock
Post Office established in 1886. Land purchased for new
courthouse on November 11, 1887. Brinnon Post Office established
in 1888. |
| 1889-1894 |
Richard
Delanty - Elected November 6, 1888 for term
to begin on January 1, 1889. Washington becomes the
42nd state on November 11, 1889 with Elisha Peyre Ferry
serving as the first elected governor. Port Townsend
Bell Tower constructed in 1890. The new Jefferson County
Courthouse and Jail were opened in 1892. There were
27 saloons operating in Port Townsend during this period.
Center Post Office established in 1890. Junction (Uncas),
Duckabush and Pleasant Harbor Post Offices established
in 1891. Bogachiel and Queets Post Offices established
in 1892. Nationwide economic depression of 1893. The
Census listed 8,368 for the county, including 4,558
in Port Townsend.
Click
here for an interesting experience from this time
period. |
| 1895-1897 |
M.F.
Hamilton - Elected January 11, 1897. Resigned
on December 6, 1898. C. L. Intermela appointed to replace
him. Clearwater and Evergreen Post Offices established
in 1895. Tarboo and Pins Post Offices established in 1897.
Work begun on Fort Worden in 1897. |
1898
|
C.L.
Intermela - Appointed, later elected in 1903.
Craven Peninsula (Indian & Marrowstone Islands at
Nordland) Post Office established in 1898. |
| 1899-1902 |
W.C.
Hammund - Elected January 3, 1899. Fort Worden
commissioned in 1902. Fort Flagler Post Office established
in 1900. Tula and Elkpark Post Offices established in
1902. The Census listed 5,712 for the county, including
3,443 in Port Townsend. |
| 1903-1904 |
C.L.
Intermela - Term begins January 12, 1903. Castile
Post Office established in 1903. Hoh and Spruce Post Offices
established in 1904. |
| 1905-1908 |
Julius
Macomber - Elected Sheriff, term begins November
9, 1904. Squamish Post Office established in 1907. Coyle
and Triton Post Offices established in 1908. |
| 1909-1911 |
John
McInnes - Elected Sheriff with term to begin
January 5, 1909. Sheriff McInnes drowned on a fishing
trip near Port Hudson on November 5, 1911 and a $50 reward
posted for recovery of his body. J.A. McGuire was appointed
to fill unexpired term. Mount Olympus National Monument
established in 1909. Women gain the right to vote in Washington
in 1910. Shine Post Office established in 1909. Dabob
Post Office established in 1911. Customs Port of Entry
makes final move from Port Townsend to Seattle. The Census
listed 8,337 for the county, including 4,181 in Port Townsend. |
| 1912-1916 |
J.A.
McGuire - Elected Sheriff. Fairmount Post Office
established in 1912. Gardiner Post Office established
in 1915. Portage Canal completed, severing the land link
to Indian Island in 1915. |
| 1917-1920 |
Martin
Herstrom - U.S. enters World War I in 1917. Cedarholm
Post Office established in 1917. The Census listed 6,557
for the county, including 2,847 in Port Townsend. |
1921-1926
|
S.
Phillip Chase - He shot and mortally wounded
Frank Grants in a gun battle at the Big Quilcene Bridge.
Grants and 2 others had robbed the Sequim Bank. Mastic
Post Office established in 1923. Matheny Post Office designated
in 1925 but never opened. |
| 1927-1934 |
John
M. Carroll - Camp Talbot Post Office established
in 1927. Kalaloch Post Office established in 1928. |
1935-1942
|
Fred
Polk - The U.S. enters World War II in 1941.
Fort Worden Post Office established in 1941. |
| 1943-1946 |
Miles
E. Brown - County population was 6,000 in 1945. |
| 1947-1954 |
Peter
J. Naughton - County population was 11,000 in
1950. Indian Island Bridge completed in 1952. Fort Worden
closed in 1953. |
| 1955-1958 |
Miles
E. Brown - Fort Worden purchased by State of
Washington in 1955 for $127,533 for use as a diagnostic
and treatment center. The Sheriff had 2 full time deputies
and a jail matron. |
1959-1978
|
Robert
L. Hansen - Only Sheriff to have served 20
years. Fort Worden changes from Diagnostic to Treatment
Center in 1963. Official closure of Fort Worden as a
Treatment Center for youth in 1971. By 1969 the Sheriff
had 8 deputies and a cook/matron and the County population
had dropped to 9,680. The west end (Clearwater) annex
was opened with living quarters for the resident deputy
and his family, an office, holding cells, a courtroom
and an auditor's office.
He
established the first twenty-four hour dispatch center
and moved the Sheriff’s Office from the main floor
of the courthouse to the basement.
Sheriff
Hansen was the last Jefferson County Sheriff to have
living quarters in the Courthouse. He lived there with
his wife and three children. His wife cooked for the
prisoners. |
1979-1986
|
Leland
B. Smith - Filming of "An Officer and
a Gentleman" in Jefferson County in 1981. JCSO
moved from the basement of the old county courthouse
in Port Townsend to the "new" Hadlock office
in 1986.
Historical
material to be added soon. |
1987-1994
|
Melvin
Mefford
Sheriff
Mefford served 27 years as a Deputy Sheriff and was
elected as Sheriff in 1987. He served two terms and
retired in 1994 after a thirty-five year career in law
enforcement.
As a Deputy
he designed the uniform shoulder patch. There is no
known earlier version and the patch continues to be
worn today.
As Sheriff
he established motorcycle program using two motorcycles
operated by reserve deputies. He set up a resident deputy
program in Port Ludlow that was funded by the Port Ludlow
Home Owners Association and the Port Ludlow Development
Association, established a Marine Patrol, and implemented
the Enhanced 911 and Computer Aided Dispatch system.
Sheriff Mefford
was confronted with significant jail problems upon taking
office. The contractor, architect and bonding company
were sued for over $300,000 for construction faults.
The Jail experienced its first successful jail break
on May 18, 1988 when three inmates discovered the contractor
had forgotten to put hard grout around all of the jail
windows and were able to pick out the caulk and push
out the window.
Sheriff
Mefford credits the success of his tenure to his 29
employees, 10 Reserve Deputies and the cooperation of
the citizens of Jefferson County.
Mel
Mefford's made a significant contribution to the development
of this historical section of the JCSO web site. His
earlier research and husbanding of historical materials
has proven invaluable. |
1995-2002
|
Peter
G. Piccini
- Established the position of Under Sheriff. Featured
on "America's Most Wanted" with the Allison
Tornensis homicide which was solved in 2001. The traditional
Deputy Uniform changed to its present look as part of
budget reductions. 45 Cal Semi-Autos replaced 357 Magnum
revolvers as department Issued side arm. Established the
Quilcene Annex. Security fencing and Lighting erected
around the Jail/Sheriff's facility. Added a 12-Bed Addition
to the Jail using a modular unit to combat over-crowding.
Administration and Jail Records became automated. K-9
Drug Unit established to combat drugs. Sheriff's Dispatch
became JeffCom. |
2003-
present
|
Michael
D. Brasfield - The 31st person to be elected
to the office of Jefferson County Sheriff and the 34th
individual to hold the office full time. He entered office
after a 34 year law enforcement career in Mercer Island,
Seattle and Fort Lauderdale. |
| |
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