Thomas M. Stell was born in Florida and came to Texas in childhood. As a young cowboy, he drove cattle to Kansas and Wyoming and attended Covey College in Concrete. Appointed sheriff of De Witt County in 1892, he served for 15 years and used persuasiveness and tact in carrying out his duties. Among the prisoners he held was the notorious gunman John Wesley Hardin. He married twice, was the father of five children, and was a member of the Old Trail Drivers Association and president of the Texas Sheriffs Association.