Sheriffs

Sheriffs of Orange County Texas

Keith Merritt
Jan 1, 2009

Mike White
January 1, 1997

Huel R. Fontenot
November 8, 1988, re-elected in November 1992
Lost to White January 1997

Newton Johnson, Jr.
Chief Deputy of Orange County was appointed
on July 11, 1988 – January 1, 1989.

James Wade
November 6, 1984 – May 2, 1988
suspended from office, September 21, 1988
he was convicted on seven drug related charges in U.S. District Court.

E.L. “Ed” Parker
November 2, 1976; re-elected November 4, 1980 – January 1, 1985.

Allen “Buck” Patillo
November 5, 1968; re-elected November 7, 1972  -January 1, 1977.
Sheriff Patillo died December 7, 1985.

Chester A. Holts
appointed on December 31, 1947; elected November 2, 1948
re-elected November 7, 1950, November 4, 1952, November 2, 1954,
November 6, 1956, November 8, 1960, November 3, 1964
and served until January 1, 1969.  Sheriff Holts served a total of twenty years, ten months and two days
which is the longest in the history of Orange County. Sheriff Holts died August 18, 1984.

L. G. Stanfield
November 5, 1940
re-elected November 3, 1942, November 4, 1944,
November 5, 1946 and served until December 1947 when he died.

C.H. Meriwether
November 3, 1936;
re-elected November 8, 1938 and served – January 1, 1941.

K. A. Mitchell
appointed on April 1, 1936  – January 1, 1937.

W.P. Brown
appointed February 19, 1927; elected November 6, 1928;
re-elected November 4, 1930, November 8, 1932,
November 6, 1934  – April 1, 1936 (Resigned).

J. W. Helton
November 2, 1920;
re-elected November 7, 1922, November 4, 1924,
November 2, 1926  – February 1927 (Died in office).

R. M. Johnson
November 4, 1902; re-elected November 8, 1904,
November 6, 1906, November 3, 1908, November 8, 1910,
November 5, 1912, November 3, 1914, November 7, 1916,
November 5, 1918  – November 2, 1920.

John Robertson
November 6, 1900  – November 4, 1902.

Jeff D. Bland
November 6, 1894; re-elected November 3, 1896,
November 8, 1898  – November 6, 1900.

N. Burton
November 2, 1886; re-elected November 6, 1888,
November 4, 1890 – November 6, 1894.

J.C. Fennel
November 4, 1884 – November 2, 1886.

D. K. Breazeale
November 7, 1882 – November 4, 1884.

George W. Michael
appointed January 1, 1877; elected November 5, 1878  – November 7, 1882.

Albert Lyons
appointed on October 12, 1876 – January 1, 1877 (Resigned)

J.A. Pinkston
March 24, 1874;
re-elected Febraury 15, 1876  – October 10, 1876 (Resigned)

W.W. (Warren) Johnson
December 3, 1869 – March 24, 1874.

Jesse G. Holmes
May 10, 1868  – December 3, 1869

W.J. Lewis
appointed July 2, 1868, but did not take the oath.

Z.A. Fink
October 28, 1867 – June 6, 1868 (Resigned).

J.C. Cooper
June 25, 1866 – October 1867 (Office declared vacant).

Joseph Bland
August 1, 1864 – June 25, 1866.

Larkin B. Thomas
August 4, 1862 – August 1, 1864.

Obadiah Cook
August 2, 1858  –  August 4, 1862.

Joseph Ritchie
August 4, 1856  –  August 2, 1858.

S.A. Fairchild
August 7, 1854  –  August 4, 1856.

S.R. Thomas
August 1, 1853  –  August 7, 1854

Harrison Barnes
(Orange’s First Sheriff)
March 20, 1852 – August 1, 1853