The first sheriff of Coryell County

In 2024, with the upcoming race for the office of Coryell County sheriff approaching, a few changes can be observed in just how elections have evolved over the years. Today, we have electronic voting, early voting, and votes that can be cast by mail-in ballots. In years past, it was not that way – especially when officials were elected 170 years ago in this county.

When Coryell County was formed in March of 1854, public offices did not exist. Historian Frank Simmons wrote: “Very early in 1854, the first election was held under a live oak tree to elect officers for the new county.” It was under a live oak tree that John Turney was elected as the first sheriff of Coryell County.

In 1986, Bob Saunders, an early day columnist, wrote about the first sheriff. “John Turney was our very first sheriff. About all we know for certain is that he moved up here from the old Fort Gates community when Gatesville was designated the county seat in 1854. He wore that tin star as a badge of his office under great difficulties.”

Saunders continued, “At that time, John Turney was doing pretty good to have an office in that first rawhide courthouse. John didn’t even have a jail, so all he could do with his prisoners was to lock a rawhide strap around their legs and stake them to the trees with a long chain around the courthouse lawn. Of course, it was especially a little rough on said prisoners, especially when it was cold, rainy weather, and the wolves was pretty bad to gnaw on them. Prisoners were just horse thieves, and they were just holding them until old Judge Lynch and his bunch could take care of them.”

It was later determined that it was inhumane for the sheriff to keep the prisoners out in the elements and be subjected to harsh environments with predators that could harm them. It was then decided to build a log jail to house prisoners until they could be tried. The log jail, which is still in existence today and housed inside the Coryell Museum and Historical Center, was ordered to be built by the county commissioners in February of 1855, so that Sheriff Turney could have a place to keep them.

John “Jack” Turney, born in 1831 in Illinois, came to Texas as a child with his parents between 1840 and 1850 where they eventually settled on 320 acres of land about eight miles south of Fort Gates. As for his qualifications to be an acting sheriff, it might have been noted that he served in the Texas Rangers, Company E, as a Private and served in that rank for three months.

Turney served as Coryell County Sheriff from 1854 until 1858. By the time the U.S. Census was taken in 1860, he was living with his wife and children in Bell County. He died at the young age of 39 and was buried at the Flint Creek Cemetery in Coryell County.

Commenting on his term as sheriff, Saunders wrote: “You can’t blame John Turney – he done the best he could do with the little he had to do it with. I am sure that John Turney made a good sheriff. I am sure that John was Irish with the Scotch left off, and he deserves all the credit we can give him.”