St. Louis County MN Sheriffs

This page last updated Thursday, 25-Jan-2001 14:14:39 MST

Thank you to Pat Maus (Northeast MN Historical Center, U of MN, Duluth) and Charles Bergquist (Supervising Deputy, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, Duluth, MN) for making the information available.

Judge John R. Carey's "History of Duluth and Northern Minnesota (1898)", page 16 states "It appears after changing the name of Superior County to St. Louis, the Governor of the Territory on April 7, 1855 appointed Z.J. Brown as sheriff and tax collector." On page 40 he states that he served "for one or two terms".

However, according to the "History of the Upper Mississippi Valley" (published in Minneapolis in 1881) page 682, after the county was organized in 1856 the Governor appointed A.J. Ellis the sheriff.

Years............	Sheriff..........................	Notes
1873-77	George Berkelman	ibid, p. 688
1874-76	Paul Sharvey	ibid, p. 697
1876-87	Samuel M. McQuade	ibid, p. 695 and from Duluth City Directories
1887-88	Paul Sharvy	Duluth City Directory
1888-90	Henry Truelson	"Duluth Illustrated, 1887" shows that he was mayor in 1887-89, also in Duluth City Directories
1890-95	Paul Sharvy	Duluth City Directories
1895-97	W.W. Butchart	Photo in "Duluth Illustrated" (917.7635-D8895)
1897-1903	W. C. Sargent
1903-04	W. W. Butchart
1904-05	Walter B. Butchart	youngest sheriff (age 20) on record, served one year after his father's death
1905-11	W. J. Bates
1911-12	John R. Meining
1912-14	Edw. McKinnon
1914-18	John R. Meining
1918-31	Frank L. Magie
1931	Emil M. Erickson	resigned 12/9/31 or ousted...Judge Emerson decision because he was not a citizen at the time of election
1931 12/11/31	Dr. C.F. McComb	temporarily appointed acting sheriff until a successor is appointed - from news clippings V.F. Sheriff's file
1931	Sam M. Owens	appointed 12/18/31
1931-67	Sam M. Owens	at which time he resigned
1967-74	Greg J. Sertich

There are also photographs of McQuade (in group), Truelson, and Butchart

Return to St. Louis County Minnesota main page