History of the Sheriff's Office

History of Sheriff's Office

Creation of Oconee County

Oconee County, South Carolina is rich with history and was originally land of the Cherokee native Americans. The first settlement, originally named "Oconee Town", was developed on the Cherokee trading path that ran between the costal European colonies and the Mississippi River, located near the present-day Oconee Station State Historical Site in the present-day Pickett Post community, on the Oconee Creek. Over the years, the area began changing and growing, with more and more settlers coming to the area.

In the 1850's, Tunnel Hill was the largest town in the area, as construction of the Stumphouse Tunnel, a railway tunnel carved through Stumphouse Mountain, was being constructed. Stumphouse Tunnel began construction in 1856, however by 1859 growing financial costs caused the State of South Carolina to stop construction, as only 1,617 feet of its planned 5,863 feet length had been excavated. (The tunnel can be visited today at the Stumphouse Park, operated by the City of Walhalla - CLICK HERE to learn more)

Following the Civil War's end in 1865, the State of South Carolina's State Constitution was rewritten in 1868, encompassing many changes, from voting rights to changes to the state's districts and counties. One of these changes was the division of the Pickens District into two separate counties, Pickens County and the newly created Oconee County.

The name "Oconee" comes from the Cherokee word "Ae-quo-nee", which means "land beside the water." Ironically, centuries later, the creation of three large man-made lakes would make this name ring even more true as Oconee County would, following the creation of Lake Jocassee, be surrounded on approximately 90% of its borders by water.

History of the Office of the Sheriff

With the creation of Oconee County in 1868, the new county now needed new elected officials, one of which was the sheriff. James H. Robins was elected as the first sheriff in 1868 and served until 1873. Since Sheriff Robins, 38 more elections have taken place, with the Office of the Sheriff being held by a total of 21 individuals.

Sheriffs elected serve a 4-year term and elections for Sheriff are conducted on the same cycle as the President of the United States.

FUN FACTS

39 Elections since 1868
21 Individuals Elected Sheriff since 1868
3 Individuals Served Non-Consecutive Terms
- James Robins (1868-1873) and (1877-1884)
- Warren Moss (1888-1892) and (1896-1900)
- William Kay (1904-1912) and (1924-1928)
Longest Serving Sheriffs
- James Singleton - 20 years (1993-2012)
- Sam Hunnicutt - 16 years (1932-1948)
- Earl Holcombe - 12 years (1981-1992)

Sheriffs of Oconee County, 1868 - Present

Evolution of the Sheriff's Office

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office has evolved over the years as the county has grown in population, as well as law enforcement as a whole has evolved.

Staffing was minimal, compared to staffing today. There were only a few deputy sheriffs, and the sheriff handled a lot of the issues himself! Law enforcement was very different than it is today. Deputies back then did not patrol 24 hours a day but rather would be summoned from home to respond to a call. It wasn't until relatively recently that the concept of 24-hour patrols would be common (starting around the 1980's).

During the prohibition era, the sheriff and his deputies had their hands full trying to keep illegal alcohol production under control. "Rum runners" and "moonshiners" were a big challenge for law enforcement in the 1920's. But when that all came to an end in December 1933, there were many new challenges to take the place of prohibition.

Like most law enforcement of the time, law enforcement officers had to provide their own equipment, including firearms, vehicles, etc. During Sheriff Holcombe's term in the 1980's, the sheriff's office began issuing deputies department-owned revolvers, however they could carry their personally owned weapons if they chose. The Sheriff's Office switched to semi-automatic pistols in 1995, which the Sheriff's Office selected the Glock 17 pistol.

For patrol vehicles, most deputies had to provide their own patrol vehicle, however this changed in the 1970's when the county began purchasing dedicated patrol vehicles.

History of Sheriff's Office

Creation of Oconee County

History of the Office of the Sheriff

Sheriffs elected serve a 4-year term and elections for Sheriff are conducted on the same cycle as the President of the United States.

FUN FACTS

39 Elections since 1868
21 Individuals Elected Sheriff since 1868
3 Individuals Served Non-Consecutive Terms
- James Robins (1868-1873) and (1877-1884)
- Warren Moss (1888-1892) and (1896-1900)
- William Kay (1904-1912) and (1924-1928)
Longest Serving Sheriffs
- James Singleton - 20 years (1993-2012)
- Sam Hunnicutt - 16 years (1932-1948)
- Earl Holcombe - 12 years (1981-1992)