Old Price County Jail

History 

Price County was originated by an act of the State Legislature on March 3, 1879, from parts of Chippewa and Lincoln Counties.

 

According to the provisions of the bill creating it, Price County was attached to Taylor County for judicial purposes. The District Attorney, Clerk of Court and Sheriff of Taylor County also served the newly formed Price County.

 

Hence, it was necessary that a Deputy Sheriff be appointed for Price County. To meet this necessity, Sheriff Dennis Needham of Taylor County appointed Chris Dardis of Phillips as the first Deputy Sheriff.

 

In the election of November 1879, Eli L. Urquhart was elected Sheriff of Taylor County and served both Taylor and Price Counties during 1880 and 1881. On January 17, 1880, he re-appointed Chris Dardis as Deputy Sheriff for the Phillips area and Hugh McDermid Deputy Sheriff for the Fifield area.

 

Upon the separation of the judicial system of the two counties, the first election for office of Sheriff was held on November 18, 1881, with the following results: of the 294 votes that were cast, Alexander W. Bond of the Republican ticket received 135 votes. Chris Dardis on the Union ticket received 114 votes. John Urquhart (party unknown) received 45 votes.

 

On February 18, 1882, Alexander W. Bond took office as the first elected Sheriff of Price County. Following are the elected Sheriff’s of Price County:

 

1882-1884     Alexander W. Bond (Republican)                                                                                           

1885-1886     George Osterman (Democrat)

1887-1888     Eugene Martin (Democrat)

1889-1890     Thomas Bailey (Democrat)

1891-1892     Al M. Hunt (Democrat)

1893-1894     Cornelius C. Kelleher (Democrat)

1895-1896     Nels Auley (Republican)

1897-1898     Alex W. Nelson (Republican)

1899-1900     Matt Christianson (Republican)

1901-1902     William J. Neff (Republican)

1903-1904     William F. Minnick (Independent)

1905-1906     Charles A. Swerd (Republican)

1907-1908     Patrick Barnett (Democrat)

1909-1910     Matt Christianson (Republican)

1911-1912     Ed Hewitt (Republican)

1913-1914     Matt Christianson (Republican)

1915-1916     Eli Hicks (Republican)

1917-1918     Nick Bey (Republican)

1919-1920     Charles G. Larson (Republican)

1921-1922     Nick Bey (Republican)

1923-1924     August Johnson (Republican)

1925-1926     Nick Bey (Independent Republican)

1927-1928     Bert Alm (Republican)

1929-1932     Nick Bey (Republican)

1933-1934     John Craig (Republican)

1935-1938     Howard Hicks (Progressive)

1939-1940     John Boyer (Progressive)

1941-1942     Gus Zierer (Republican)

1943-1946     Leo Weyers (Republican)

1947*              Frank Cervenka (Republican)

1947-1950     Herbert Hammond (Republican)

1951-1954     George Heizler (Republican)

1955-1958     Andrew Pilch (Republican)

1959-1962     Paul Gehring (Republican)

1963-1966     Andrew Pilch (Republican)

1967-1980     Paul Gehring (Republican)

1981-1986     Michael H. Johnson (Democrat)

1987-1994     Wayne Wirsing (Republican)

1995-2000     Richard J. Heitkemper (Democrat)

2001-2002     Robert D. Randolph (Democrat)

2003-2009     Wallace C. Krenzke (Democrat)

2009 -             Brian S. Schmidt (Republican)

 

*Died in Office

 

NOTE: Article VI, Section 4, of Wisconsin Statutes, amended November 1882, limiting term of office to 1 two-year term and amended April 1929 to 2 two-year terms.