News – Sheridan Media
The first sheriff of the newly formed Sheridan County was James M. Enochs. According to the book, Wyoming’s Territorial Sheriff’s, by Ann Gorzalka, High Plains Press, 1989, Enochs was a “rough little Texan.”
He worked as a cowhand in Texas and then came to Wyoming Territory. He became a stock inspector and later was appointed Sheriff in 1888 and was elected sheriff in 1889. He served until 1890, with his salary being $750 annually.
The county was very new, (one newspaper called it an ‘infant’ county), and it did not have a courthouse. Enochs approached the board of county commissioners for a larger office to transact the business of being a sheriff. He also agreed to furnish his own stove, if the county would furnish him with coal, which they did.”
The Sheridan Post, May 2, 1888
Enochs was apparently good at what he did. The old newspapers have several stories about his pursuit of lawbreakers. In the story about Sheridan’s first jail, (Sheridanmedia, September 14, Sheridan County’s First Jail) There is a long article about Enochs chasing some horse thieves.)
This from The Enterprise. May 31, 1890 – Sheriff Enochs returned from a trip to Douglas on Sunday. He turned over the man James Boyd, known in Texas as Frank Clark, to Sheriff McLain and Deputy Stelzer, of Montague, Montague county, Texas, on the road, but. continued to Douglas to have telegraphic communication with Judge Saufley at Laramie City as to what to do with his prisoner. The judge instructed him to turn the man over to the Texas authorities. Sheriff McLain recognized Boyd as Frank Clark as soon as he saw him, having known him since he was a boy, And his courage failed him as soon as he saw the officers. Clark is wanted in Texas for burning the court house in Montague in 1881. His brother had been indicted for grand larceny and the incendiary thought to avenge the insult offered his family by firing the building. Sheriff McLain believes he will get out of the scrape on account of the lack of testimony, there being only two witnesses, one of whom is serving a term in the penitentiary and the other in the county jail.
Sundance Gazette Sundance, Wyo., August 15, 1890 – Sheriff Enochs, of Sheridan county, is attending our term of court. He is interested in the Cantley horse-stealing case, in which two Mexicans are on trial who were captured by Sheriff Enochs after an exciting shooting con test. Mr. Enoch sis a pleasant gentle man and a capable officer. He reports the democracy in good shape in his county, and everything pointing to a great victory.
The Enterprise, February 8, 1890
Sheridan Post Feb. 20, 1890 – He got away for a while – The grand jury, at our recent term of court returned an indictment against Christian Welch on some charge arising out of ii difficulty between Welch and John Devers who were neighbors on Rapid creek and during which, Welch was charged with shooting at Devers. Before the sitting of the grand jury Welch had, with his wife and son Albert, removed to parts unknown. Recently Sheriff Enochs learned that they were in the Belle Fourche country and repaired there to assert Welch and return him to this county, he found the family, who were in some what destitute circumstances, without difficulty, and made the arrest of Welch. The entire family proceeded to return with the sheriff but when they arrived at Trabing, Welch skipped by the light or the pale faced moon, and has ot been heard from since.
Mrs. Welch and Albert have returned to the ranch on Rapid creek. The “old gent”is likely to turn up one of these days.
Photo take at Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
Sheridan Post, April 10, 1890 – G.H. Marshall arrived from New Mexico on last Sunday’s coach from the south. As he was on a tour of inspection into the Northwest, but stopping off wherever he thought the prospects were favorable for investment. Upon reaching Sheridan he concluded to stop over a few days here to “see what he could see.” He was assigned a room on the ground floor of the Windsor, where he registered. Not feeling well, he retired early on Monday evening, putting his vest, containing about $190, under his pillow. The window was not fastened and sometime in the night Mr. Marshal was awakened by snow blowing through the open window and arose and closed it.
In the morning he discovered that some thief or thieves had during the night raised the window of his room and stole his vest, containing his money, his pants and a hand satchel, all of which could have been taken through the window without the thief entering the room.
About 10:30 that night Sheriff Enochs and City Marshal Morrow, while taking a prisoner to the jail, found a man’s vest about half way between the Windsor hotel and the jail, which proved to be the vest stolen from the room of Mr. Marshal. The robbery must have been committed before 10:30 o’clock that night.
No clue as yet hits been discovered and Mr. Marshal has been left in in rather embarrassing circumstances, by reason of his being among strangers without money with which to liquidate expense bills. As this is the first thing of the kind which has occurred in Sheridan it has produced considerable surprise and comment. We hope the thieves may yet be apprehended and made to suffer the penalty of the law.
Photo take at Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
The Enterprise, June 21, 1890
Weekly Republican, Sundance, Wyoming, October 8, 1890. – Sheriff Enochs returned from Douglas on Thursday’s coach, bringing with him F.G. Thompson and C. Furer. who had been arrested in Converse County by Sheriff Williams. They are charged with stealing horses from A.M. Carpenter and J. Peck, near Dayton, in this county. A preliminary hearing will be given them October 9th. In the meantime, they languish in the Bastille on the hill. – Sheridan Enterprise
Sheridan began growing and needed law and order. Sheriff James Monroe Enochs was one of the first to bring law into the growing county.
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Last modified: September 29, 2025