Okaloosa County BOCC — March 17, 2015 — OSCO 100 Years of History Power Point 2015

One Hundred Years of Excellence 1915-2015  "I do solemnly swear that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States, and of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the State; and that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of Okaloosa County Sheriff on which I am now about to enter. So help me God."  Appointed to Sheriff by Gov. Park Trammel on Oct. 10, 1915  No prior law enforcement experience  Funded agency with his own money until Jan. 1916  Won election to remain Sheriff in 1916  Murder of Bud and Nancy Davis on March 21, 1917  Served as executioner for Robert Blackwell  Resigned from office and did not seek re-election Robert Blackwell Hanging In this photo it is unknown which person is Sheriff Sutton. At the time of this presentation there are no known photographs of Sheriff Sutton  Family was from Laurel Hill: part owner of dry goods store  Community minded, active in groups  Sworn into Office on Jan. 10, 1921  Executed court order to have William Bishop taken to the State Hospital in Chattahoochee on Jan. 21, 1921  First Line of Duty Death in Okaloosa County history  Will be recognized formally in May 2015 for his service and sacrifice to Okaloosa County Sheriff Summerlin A undated photograph of Sheriff Summerlin with three unidentified men  Grew up and was raised on the family farm in Svea  Worked in a Mercantile Store in Laurel Hill  Appointed to be the county’s first Treasurer in 1915 by Gov. Trammel  Sworn in as a deputy sheriff under Sheriff Summerlin  Appointed as Sheriff after the death of Summerlin  Won re-election in 1924 and 1928  Was highly thought of and respected throughout county  Mr. Harry Gardner Cutler wrote this glowing review of Sheriff Steele in his book titled History of Florida, Past and Present, Vol. lll, which was published in 1923  "Sheriff Steele has handled the sheriff's office in masterful style and has been preeminently successful in the enforcement of law and order in his county. He has the respect and esteem of the law-abiding element and his courage, promptness, and firmness have made him feared by evil-doers.“  On June 6, 1929 Sheriff Steele passed away at the age of 40 from an unknown aliment which caused his throat to swell shut  Grew up in Ponce DeLeon Florida  Worked for his father who owned a dry goods store and sold automobiles  At the age of 30 moved to Laurel Hill to sell cars with his younger brother. A natural salesman  Approached by Gov. Carlton to be Sheriff after death of Steele  On June 15, 1929 appointed as Sheriff  Prohibition Era and Bootleg Liquor  Purchased the county’s first pair of canines in February 1930  Landslide victory of 1930 to remain Sheriff. 80% margin of victory  He employed 4 deputies for all of Okaloosa County…  “I could fit my entire sheriff's department in one car. I had one chief deputy and three part- time deputies; one in Holt, one in Niceville, and one in Laurel Hill,“  One of them was eventually arrested for cattle rustling and sent to prison!  Lost his bid for a second term as Sheriff in 1933  After leaving the Sheriff’s Office went to work for the Remington Firearms Company  In 1992 was recognized as Florida’s oldest living Sheriff at the age of 98  Was a cousin to former Sheriff Peter J. Steele  Chief Deputy J.A. McArthur died while on duty  18th Amendment was repealed  Roosevelt's Tree Army and the CCC Camps  Okaloosa County beginning to expand, roads, bridges developed with Federal funds in 1934  Won re-election in 1936  Would not seek re-election in 1940  Murder of Sheriff Office candidate Les Wilson Sheriff candidate Les Wilson March 15, 1940 Les Wilson was gunned down by a blast from a shotgun while he was sitting in his Crestview home. His 13 year old son; Ray Wilson was home at the time