Watauga County Sheriffs’ Wall of Fame | By Julie Farthing

Portraits of Sheriffs, Past and Present: Picture This

By Julie Farthing

Sheriff David Colbert McCanles, 1856-1860

There is quite a line-up causing a stir when folks enter the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office. It isn’t a group of people containing a potential suspect like you see on TV. It is, instead, two rows of framed black and white photographs depicting the sheriffs of Watauga County, going all the way back to John “Jack” Horton, who was appointed in 1852, to current Sheriff Len “L.D.” Hagaman Jr., who is serving his fourth term protecting the citizens of Watauga County.

Watauga County was incorporated in 1849 from parts of Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Yancey counties and was named for the Watauga River. Watauga is thought to be a Native American word often translated as “whispering waters,” “beautiful waters,” or “land of the beyond.” Some of that land, especially in the early 19th century, though infinitely beautiful, was remote and often inaccessible. A sheriff and his deputies could be summoned in all kinds of weather, and used only horseback or buggy.

The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association states that although the Office of Sheriff was expressly created in North Carolina’s first Constitution in 1776, no system of local government was created by the Constitution. A uniform scheme of county and township government was not created until the adoption of North Carolina’s Constitution of 1868, almost 100 years later. Therefore, the Office of Sheriff in North Carolina is almost older than county government itself.

The photographs in the Sheriff’s Office lobby paint a picture of the many men who made a commitment to serve the people of the High Country. These men represent the families of early local citizens who still call these mountains home, and every photo offers a glimpse of the man behind the badge. Sheriff Asa Wilson, who served from 1912 to 1914, is on horseback, while Sheriff C.M. Watson, 1942-1950, is smiling beside his patrol car. Even after the automobile replaced horses and mules as transportation, mountain roads could be rough to navigate. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that most backroads were paved and equipped with guard rails.

The majority of the sheriffs photographed are hatless; some, however, are wearing fedoras, while Ward Carroll, 19661982, is wearing his signature Stetson cowboy hat. Carroll was noted for cracking down on the “illegal hillside alcohol business.” In one of the photos, my husband’s great-grandfather, Luther Farthing (19241932), is seated at a desk in the old jail that is now Proper Restaurant on Water Street. The Watauga Democrat reported that he died on the steps of the courthouse on his 62nd birthday after a bout of indigestion following his noon-day meal. Then stated: “Grown men in overalls wept.”

The photo that captures the most attention is that of David Colbert McCanles, 1856-1860. In the photo, McCanles, with his large black hat and white neck scarf, looks like a cross between a musketeer and Sir Walter Raleigh. People sometimes gather around his photo with amazement on their faces, and with good reason. Deputies, detectives, and even the sheriff often find themselves retelling the story of McCanles—how he stole the taxpayers’ monies and fled west with his mistress, Sarah Shull. They finish the surprising tale by noting he was the first man reportedly killed by “Wild Bill” Hickok (see the full story of McCanles, Shull and Hickok in this issue of CML).

Every now and then, someone will come in and point at a photograph of a sheriff and share how they are related. It’s always a proud moment for the person to not only be connected to someone who is such an important part of history, but also to be in the midst of gentlemen held in such high esteem.

The only sheriff photographed in uniform is Ernest Hodges, who served from 1954 to 1962. He was passionate about road safety and teamed up with the NC Highway Patrol for the “Drive with Care Everywhere” campaign.

“I can barely remember Hodges, as I was so young at the time,” says Sheriff Hagaman. He added that Red Lyons had the longest term, with 20 years. Hagaman said it would be interesting to see if the public has more information to share about the two dozen men photographed. “They are more than just pictures on a wall—these men represent the history of Watauga County.”