County's First Law Men

When the county was organized in 1884, the first elected sheriff was W. W. "Uncle Billy" Nelson, who authorized the first calaboose, a frame jail only 8 x 10 x 8 feet. After six months, Nelson resigned because cowboys were an unruly lot. In 1885, T. J. Faught was appointed sheriff and won the respect of cowhands when he used a wooden pool cue as a weapon to calm a rowdy group in the west side saloon. Faught never wore a gun, was elected to three terms from 1886 to 1892, and in the original Snyder town plat a street was named for him that is now 27th Street.

Snyder, Texas · United States