The History of Law Enforcement in Graham
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
The
Graham Police Department
Graham
Police Department 1917-1976
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 to the right 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.
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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 D.A.R.E. 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.
