When Fond du Lac was just a fledgling village, the duties of the county sheriff often seemed mundane. They had to live at the jail, and their wives had to feed the prisoners. Their main business seemed to be serving notices for bankruptcies and evictions.
The men were also from many walks of life, owning farms, saw mills, iron foundries and small businesses. One sheriff was a banker, and one sheriff was the Grandson of an English Duke.
In their brief 2-year terms in office, they experienced many events, including the arrival of Buffalo Bill Cody, the arrival of 70 freed slaves after the civil war, and the scandal surrounding the ‘Tin Soldier’ monument at the courthouse.
- One sheriff had his arm amputated
- One committed suicide
- One sheriff had a son who opened all the jail cells before he ran away from home
- One died in office after only serving 6 months
Learn more about these remarkable men and the challenges that they faced while serving as
sheriff in the early days of Fond du Lac.
History at Home programs focus on stories about the area's past every month. Programs are held on the second Thursday of every month at 6 pm in the McLane Room.
The programs are free. Many History at Home programs are captured on video and shared on the library's YouTube channel. That link can be found at fdlpl.org/miss-program.