Sheriff's Corner: Early Sheriffs of Carbon County

Did you know that Carbon County had a sheriff long before Wyoming was even a state? Sure enough, the first sheriff of Carbon County was a man named Smith Foote, who was appointed by Governor John A. Campbell on October 8th, 1869, when Wyoming was still a Territory. Foote would go on to be reappointed sheriff in 1870 but lost in the ensuing general election. Records are scant on Foote, who was likely born in Indiana in 1843, according to census records. After serving as Carbon County’s first Sheriff, records indicate that Foote may have entered the freighting business.

Originally a part of Laramie County, Carbon County was organized in 1868 and was one of five counties in Dakota Territory. On May 19th, 1869, Wyoming Territory was formally recognized, and Carbon County became a part of Wyoming. Initially stretching from the Colorado state line to the Montana state line, Carbon County lost a sizeable portion of territory when Natrona County was formed in 1888.

In September of 1870, Carbon County held their first general election, with a man named Peter Lemon, a Democratic, becoming Carbon County’s first elected sheriff. Lemon ran against the previously appointed sheriff, Smith Foote. Once again, due to the passage of time and lack of substantial record keeping, I could not find much material on Lemon. According to certain sources, Lemon may have served in the U.S. Army as a young man and may have entered the gold and silver mining business after serving his two-year term as sheriff.

The last sheriff of Carbon County before Wyoming became a state was a man named Frank A. Hadsell. Hadsell, who was elected in 1888, was subsequently reelected in 1890 after Wyoming gained statehood. One of the most notable sheriffs of Carbon County, Hadsell had a storied career in law enforcement, ranging from the sheriff of Carbon County, to being appointed a U.S. Marshal, to serving as the Warden of the Wyoming State Penitentiary. If that isn’t enough, Hadsell also served as a member of the Wyoming Territorial Counsel and as a Wyoming State Senator. Born in Massachusetts, Hadsell worked in a butcher shop before moving to Illinois, and finally settling in Wyoming, near the town of Elk Mountain.

As always, thank you for reading. The history of Carbon County and the Sheriffs that have served here is fascinating and could easily take up many pages. I hope my brief introduction was enjoyable!

Thank you,

Sheriff Alex Bakken.