THE EARLY SHERIFFS OF JOHNSON CO., MISSOURI 
1835-1881
Gleaned from "History of Johnson Co., Mo., 1881"
By James R. Baker, Jr.

1835
Joseph Cockerel was born in Kentucky and came with his parents to Johnson 
County. He was a farmer and stock raiser, before becoming the first Sheriff of 
Johnson County.  His son, F. M. Cockerel was a "noted statesman". Joseph was 
appointed Deputy Sheriff by his successor William Smith. He died in 1837.

1836-1839
William Smith was born in Tennessee and came to Missouri in 1832. He retired 
after his second term in office. He was a member of the Methodist church. W. H. 
Anderson was his deputy for both of his terms.

1840-1843
Isham Reese, a Democrat, was born in Tennessee and came to Missouri in 1832. He 
was a farmer and was elected sheriff for two terms. 

1844-1847
Judge John M. Price was born 21 Feb. 1807 at Lancaster, Garrard County, 
Kentucky. His father, John Price, was born in Culpepper Co., Virginia. He 
married Miss Polly Anderson, then they moved to Lancaster, Ky. in 1798. Judge 
Price was the sixth child in a family of eleven; William, Robert, Edward, 
Elizabeth, Charles, John, Thomas, Samuel, Mary, Sarah and Barthina. The Judge 
left home when he was nineteen and went south for several years, then went  to 
Illinois and, with his brother, operated coal mines across the river from St. 
Louis for six years. He married Miss Miranda Lemon of St. Clair County, in 1835 
in Illinois. They had three children, Edward, Huldah and Robert. In 1836, they 
moved to Jefferson City, Mo.  During the three years he was there, his wife 
died. On 20 Oct. 1840, he came to Johnson County, and went to farming.  A few 
years later, he remarried to Miss Jane Marshall, daughter of James Marshall, a 
Revolutionary War veteran, and brother to Humphrey Marshall, U. S. Senator.  
They had five sons and three daughters; James S., Andrew Jackson, John Marshall, 
Winfield Scott, George Breckenridge, Josie, Verenda and Almeda. He was elected 
County Judge in 1840, Representative to the state legislature in 1842, and 
served as sheriff from 1846 to 1848. During the war he sold goods and operated a 
hotel in Warrensburg, but later moved to Lexington. He supplied material aid to 
the defenders of the southern cause.

1848-1851
Benjamin W. Grover, a Whig, also served as a state senator from this district. 
He was a sound businessman and was instrumental in bringing the Missouri Pacific 
Railroad through Johnson County. He was made Colonel of the First Regiment 
raised in Johnson county, a Union unit, and was killed in the Battle of 
Lexington in 1861.

1852-1855
Phillip S. Houx, a Democrat, was born in Kentucky, and came to Missouri early in 
life. He was of German descent and a leading member of the Cumberland 
Presbyterian Church.  

1856-1859
G. Wilson Houts, a Whig, was born in Kentucky in 1809. He came to Missouri when 
he was twelve years of age, first to Scott County, then to Johnson about 1840.  
A farmer, he also served as County Acessor, County Clerk, Sheriff, Deputy 
Sheriff, and in the State Legislature. Although his sympathies were with the 
north, he took no part in the war. Two of his children stayed in Johnson Co., 
and two moved to Texas.

1860-1861
Jonathan Graves, a Whig, was born in Kentucky. He was elected in 1860, but when 
the war broke out, he was forced to leave office because he was a southerner. He 
served a little over a year. Mr. Graves moved to the northern part of Missouri.

1862
Charles E. Cunningham, a native of Delaware, was appointed sheriff by the 
governor to fill the position left vacant by the resignation of Jonathan Graves. 
A farmer, he served out the remainder of the term, then moved to Little Rock, 
Arkansas.

1863-1864
A. M. Christian, Republican, came from Kentucky. Many people were unhappy with 
him as Sheriff due to the war and the feelings of the times.

1865-1867
Thomas W. Williams was a native Missourian, born in St. Louis County. He retired 
to his farm after serving for two years. He was killed when thrown from a horse 
several years later.

1868-1870
B. F. Griffith, Radical Party, was born in Muskingham County, Ohio in 1836. He 
was educated at Ohio Weslyan University, and taught school in Ohio for a year. 
He came to Johnson county in 1859 and taught school for two years, then at the 
beginning of the war, went to Iowa and joined the first Iowa Cavalry and served 
three years. He returned to Missouri in 1864 and was appointed deputy clerk 
under Emery Foster. He held that office until 1865 and was married in the spring 
of that same year. He farmed from then until 1868 when he was elected Sheriff. 
He later served as deputy under J. H. Smith, then returned to farming. He later 
worked for the Wabash and Panhandle Railroad.

1871
J. H. Smith, Republican, was born in Virginia in November 1832. He moved to 
North Carolina in 1834, back to virginia in 1844, to Ohio in 1848, to Harrison 
County, Missouri in 1859, then to Johnson County, Missouri in 1863. He served as 
a Captain in the Union Army during the war. After the war, he was deputy 
treasurer, then deputy sheriff under W. B. Griffith. He also served as Mayor of 
Warrensburg, where he resided. 

1872-1875
O. D. Williams, Democrat,  was born 30 April 1826 in New York state. He moved to 
Michigan, then to Indiana, where his father died in 1840. He left Indiana in 
1845 and traveled to Memphis, Vicksburg, Louisiana and Alabama to work. In 1849, 
he went to New Mexico where he worked as a miner, then to California. He then 
worked in several locations in old Mexico for several months, then returned to 
California for three years.  He finally married and settled down in Johnson 
county in 1857.

1876-1879
Zachariah H. Emerson, was born 15 May, 1824 in Warren County, Kentucky. He came 
to Missouri in 1849, and has lived here since then, except for three years in 
Illinois during the war. He was married in 1844 to Miss Sarah A. Moore. They had 
four children, three of whom are now living, Mr. J. H. Emerson of Rich Hill, 
Bates county, Mrs. Claunch, of Johnson county, and Miss Mary Emerson, a teacher 
in Warrensburg. Mr. Emerson was a constable, then deputy sheriff under O. D. 
Williams for four years, then was elected to the office of sheriff, himself. 
During his time in office, he was required to officiate at two executions, that 
of John W. Daniels, 1 Mar. 1878, and Frank Davidson, 9 July 1879. He lived in 
Warrensburg in 1881, and was known as one of the best sheriffs that Johnson 
County  had ever had.

1880-1881
John A. Shaw was born in Baltimore, Maryland  on 10 Oct. 1835. He moved, with 
his parents, to St. Louis for several years, then to Illinois, then to Johnson 
County in 1866. A very popular man, he declared that he was not a candidate but 
if elected he would serve, but not as a member of either party. He was nominated 
by the Republican Party and elected by a 300 vote majority.