The Texas Sheriff: Lord of the County Line

by Thad Sitton

The Texas Sheriff takes a fresh, colorful, and insightful look at Texas law enforcement during the decades before 1960. In the first half of the twentieth century, rural Texas was a strange, often violent, and complicated place. Nineteenth-century lifestyles persisted, blood relationships made a difference, and racial apartheid was still rigidly enforced.

Citizens expected their county sheriff to uphold local customs as well as state laws. He had to help constituents with their personal problems, which often had little or nothing to do with law enforcement. The rural sheriff served as his countyâ s “Mr. Fixit,â its resident “good old boy,â and the lord of an intricate rural society.

Basing his interpretations on primary sources and extensive interviews, Thad Sitton explores the dual nature of Texas sheriffs, demonstrating their far-reaching power both to do good and to abuse the law.

253 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book by accident in the regional section of the local book barn. The focus here is Texas enforcement pre-1960, with special emphasis on the rural parts of the state. Sitton's writing was solid, his narrative peppered with plenty of firsthand sources. I think anyone who enjoyed the first person vignettes of Sheriff Bell in No Country for Old Men would get something out of this book.

[Beau Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on pre-1960 law enforcement in Texas. Great reference material.