Most people don’t realize how much western history has occurred in Graham and Young County. Graham was located in a pivotal area in North central Texas, near Fort Belknap, and right on the Butterfield Overland Stage Route.

Early citizens of Young County were constantly threatened by Indian raids, one of the most well-known being the Warren Wagon Train Massacre near the Young / Jack County line.

The bloodiest gun battle of the old west occurred just southeast of Graham in 1888. A family by the name of Marlow were falsely accused of horse theft and murder, resulting in a shootout leaving a law enforcement officer fatally wounded. When arrested on the trumped up charges, the four brothers were loaded for transport to Jacksboro and near Old Finis Rd, they were ambushed. Two of the brothers were killed and two escaped, later clearing their names. The book, A Pilgrims Shadow, by Alan Huffines covers the families story in detail.

On December 23, 1927, in the neighboring city of Cisco, a bank robber by the name of Marshall Ratliff attempted to rob the local bank dressed in a Santa Claus suit . In their effort to escape, the Chief of Police was killed,  and another officer was wounded. They left their stolen money in a car they abandoned trying to escape. They were eventually captured just south of Graham on the Brazos river . One of the officers involved in the case was a Texas Ranger named “Lone Wolf” Gonzales. He was the first law enforcement officer to attempt to locate a suspect from an airplane and it was done in Young County.

 Mug shot of Marshall Ratliff, known as the “Santa Claus Bank Robber”

These perilous times called for a certain breed of lawman, a tradition that has been built on over the last 180 years.

The Graham Police Department 1917 to 1976:

The first structure to house the Graham Police Department was located in the 400 block of Third Street and is now part of the National Theatre. While the inside has been completely remodeled, an old holding cell still exists inside.

The photograph above is of members of the Graham Police Department in uniform outside Police Department on Third Street.  From left to right, the officers are identified as Officers Wilkinson, Raymond Burkett, Sam Gough, and George Grubbs. Raymond Burkett and George Grubbs were two of four individuals who have held the position of Chief of Police in Graham.

Pictured from left to right:

First Row: Chief Bill Paul, Richard Witener(DPS), James Queen(DPS),Robert Dial(DPS), Jim Nance, Clay Scoggins. Second Row: Curtis Dees, Bill Lusk, Vernon Gosnell, Don Stoner Third Row: Dee McCormick, Clinton Joyce, Jim Dodson, Milton Lemming.

This picture, taken in 1975 in front of the Young County Courthouse, Shows the third Chief of Police, William Paul and members of the Graham Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety.  William Paul became Chief of Police of the Graham Police Department in 1970. Under Chief Paul, the Graham Police Department grew and became very active in the community, added officers to the Cross Timbers Drug Task, and began a Law Enforcement Explorer Post. Also pictured above third from the right on the front row is Jim Nance, who eventually replaced Clay Scoggins as investigator, would later become Chief of Police after Bill Paul.

Graham Police Department 1976-1988

In 1976, The Graham Police Department and the Young County Sheriff Department moved into a joint facility called the Young County Law Enforcement Center, located at Second and Oak. This building housed the Graham Police Department, had offices for deputies to work out of, served as central dispatch for the county, and housed a 17-bed jail facility.  The dispatch was run by the Police Department and the jail facility was operated by the Young County Sheriff Department.

At the time of its completion, the jail had central air and heat and color television, while the Graham High School was still climate controlled by fans and floor furnaces.  The facility was considered so nice, that the joke around town was that inmates were the “Guests of the County”. Unfortunately there were several escapes due to flaws in the design, and these problems would take a period of several years to correct.

During this same time period, Young County had the highest DWI arrest rate in the state. In 1984, things had changed so dramatically that Graham was named “The Safest City in Texas” due to its low number of “index crimes” reported to the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety.  During this period, Graham fielded 5 patrol officers per shift and had one Criminal Investigator.

In 1987, the Police Department moved to this facility, located at 456 Oak Street. This building was shared with Graham’s Municipal Court. In 1993, William Paul retired and Jim Nance became the fourth man to hold the title Chief of Police in Graham.

Under the leadership of Chief Nance, the department added another criminal Investigator and created a crime prevention unit, as well as participating in the DARE. Program. In 2001, the Graham Police Department took over the DARE Program / School Resource Officer Program and added another officer to the department.

In March of 2002, the Graham Police Department moved to its current location, 903 Loving Highway. This facility is approximately 5 times larger than our old facility, with three bays and a training room inside. In 2004, The Graham Police Department added three positions to its roster and is the first expansion in department strength in almost 20 years.