The Sheriffs of 21 Butternut St.

Sheriffs of the First Jail

1823-24 Thomas Armstrong

1825-27 Reuben H. Foster

1828-30 Cullen Foster

1831-33 Calvin D. Palmeter

1834-36 Truman Heminway

1837-39 Hiram Mann

1840-42 Simon V. W. Stout

1843-45 John Borradaile

1846-48 George W. Barnard

1849-51 Chester A. Ward

1852-54 George W. Paddock

Sheriff William Nottingham
1855 - 1857
The first sheriff to work in the newly constructed Wayne County Jail.

William P. Nottingham was born in Claverack, Columbia County, New York, in June 1805.

His first residence in Wayne County was in Walworth, as landlord of the hotel there.
He then moved to Palmyra to run the Bunker Hill Hotel on Canal Street.
Afterward, he bought The Palmyra Hotel in 1838 on the corner of Main and Fayette Street and owned and ran that for a quarter of a century.
In 1855 he was elected Sheriff of Wayne County, and at about the same time, was chosen President of the Palmyra Union Agricultural Society, which he held until his death, December 15, 1877.

Adrastus Snedaker
1858 -1860

Sheriff Snedaker lived in the Town of Galen.

After his term as sheriff, he became the Town of Galen Supervisor.

In 1845, Sheriff Snedaker purchased the Canal Mansion House and renamed it the Franklin House.
During his term as Sheriff, Snedaker had the dark task of arranging for and carrying out the execution of William Fee, the only execution in the history of the county.
Although a snowstorm was raging, thousands came and stood outside the jail during the hanging.
Tickets to the gruesome event were sold, and 100 spectators came inside to see Fee hanged.

John Paul Bennet
1861-1863 & 1867-1869

Sheriff Bennet was born in 1824 and emigrated to America when he

was five years old.

In 1847, he was appointed collector of the port of Pultneyville and

held this position between three and four years, boarding at the

home of Washington Throop.

Bennet was also elected Justice of the Peace in Williamson and held that office for nine years.
In 1854 and 1855, he was elected Member of the Assembly and introduced the bill to build the first suspension bridge at Niagara Falls.
In 1861, he was nominated for sheriff. During his first term as sheriff, the murder case of Jonathan Lape occurred.

Bartlett Rogers
1864-1866

Sheriff Rogers was born in Palmyra on June 30, 1807.

Five years later, he moved to Lyons, where he resided until his death in 1880.

He learned the trade of a tanner (transforming animal skins or hides into leather) from his father and began business on the west side of Butternut Street in Lyons.
In 1847, he went into the tanning business with Henry Teachout.
While a tanner, he also worked as a contractor on the canals and as a lumber dealer.
Rogers also held three terms as Supervisor of Lyons and County Treasurer from 1849 to 1852.

John N. Brownell
1870-1872

Sheriff Brownell was born in Hoosick Falls, NY., moved to Lyons in 1845, and became a farmer.

In 1870, he was elected sheriff of Wayne County on the Republican ticket by the largest majority ever given to any county official.
In 1880, he was appointed keeper at Auburn state prison, retaining the position for five years.

Richard P. Groat
1873 - 1875

Born March 28, 1822, Richard P. Groat's family moved to Newark

shortly after his birth from Columbia County.

Groat was appointed as keeper of the Wayne County Alms House

(poor house) in 1861 where he served for nine years.

After only one term of office, Groat became "Deputy Collector of
Internal Revenue," a position he held for nine years.
Groat continued on in public service and was representative to the
New York State Assembly from 1889 through 1891.
Groat was also the Newark Postmaster until December 31, 1906.

Thomas M. Clark
1876-1878

Sheriff Clark, like other sheriffs of the times, was in the auctioneering business and quoted as a "celebrated auctioneer of 36 years experience." Clark was an auctioneer before and after he served his term as sheriff.
Sheriff Clark is buried in the Clark family plot in the Marion Town Cemetery. His headstone reads that he was born in 1828 and died in 1910.

William J. Glen
1879-1882

Sheriff Glen was born May 22, 1836, in Milton, NY and died on January 15, 1906. Early in his teens, his family moved to a farm in Rose, NY.

He entered into service in the Sheriff's department under Sheriff Groat.
Upon his election to Sheriff, he moved into 21 Butternut with his wife and son.

As Sheriff, Glen had to preside over two very gruesome murder/suicides, both taking place in Lyons.
After his term as Sheriff, he retired to a house on Phelps Street in Lyons and continued to work the farm in Rose.

Vernon R. Howell
1883-1885

Sheriff Howell was born in 1847 and died in 1897,

During his term as Sheriff, 18 men were captured and sentenced to Auburn or Elmira. One of the more
illustrious prisoners was William Courtwright in 1884 for murder, although ultimately acquitted.
Also under Sheriff Howell was the arrest of John Johnson for burglary in 1885. He was the first convict to be
sent to the electric chair at Auburn.
It was under Sheriff Howell that Jerry Collins began his 50 years of service in the sheriff’s department.

R.J. Parshall
1886-1888

Sheriff Rossman J. Parshall was born in Palmyra in 1844.

Parshall served in Company A, III NY Infantry Regiment,
and mustered out in 1865.
After leaving the army he returned to Palmyra and then in 1866 took a position as bookkeeper in the Lyons National Bank.

In 1872 he went to Sodus and took charge of the Shaker tract of land, and in 1879 was appointed collector of the Port of Sodus Point and held the position up to 1886, when he was elected sheriff.

During Parshall’s time as sheriff, there was one murder committed, and Christopher King, a repeat offender, was also brought in.

Charles R. Reed
1889-1890

Reed was born in the town of Huron.

Under Sheriff Reed, repeat offender Christopher King was again brought in for assault, marking the third time King went through the Wayne County Jail.
Sheriff Reed only held the office of sheriff for a year as he died November 17th during his term at the age of 38.
Funeral services were held at the jail.

George W. Knowles
1890-1891

Sheriff Knowles was born July 14, 1834, in Lyons, NY.

Before becoming Sheriff, he was a partner in C.D. McDougal & Company and was an agent

for the Merchants Express Co. on Water St. in Lyons.

Sheriff Knowles was also the President (Mayor) of Lyons in 1873 before joining the Sheriff's Office.
He only served as Sheriff for one year, taking over for Sheriff Reed following his death.
Robbery, assault, and burglary were the popular crimes during Sheriff Knowles's short term.

There was only one murderer, George A. Lumbert.

Walter Thornton
1892-1893

Thorton was born in the town of Sodus in 1844

Sheriff Thornton was in office when one of the most famous criminals,

Oliver Curtis Perry, was captured and brought to the Wayne County Jail.

Sheriff Thornton’s term was cut short, as he too died while in office.
The funeral was held in Sodus and was the largest funeral held in Wayne County.

Theodore B. Trowbridge
1893

Mr. Trowbridge was born in Susquehanna County, PA, on December 23, 1837, and came to Wayne County in 1860.

He was commissioner of highways for the town of Sodus from 1876 to 1888, was a charter member of Wallington Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and was a member of Sodus Lodge, No. 392, F., and A.M.
After Sheriff Thornton died, Theodore B. Trowbridge took over as sheriff.
Sheriff Trowbridge didn’t seek office again, as he was declared insane by Drs. William G. Thirkell and

Harry F. Seaman and sent to Willard State Asylum.

Charles H. Ford
1894

Sheriff Ford served on the Wayne County Board of Supervisors from 1896 to 1898.

Seven women were arrested during Ford's term for being "disorderly."
Only one man was arrested for murder in 1894, Fred Chields.

George M. Sweezey
1895-1897

Sheriff Sweezey was born in 1843, died in 1915, and was a Civil War Veteran.

He ran the Atlantic Hotel on Main Street in the Hamlet of Marion,
the apartment house across from the present Town Hall.
Repeat offender Christopher King was again arrested, this time in 1895.

This was his fourth time through the Wayne County Jail.

Dewitt C. Wheeler
1898-1900

Sheriff Wheeler was a resident of South Butler.

He married Nettie Hibbard making Jerome Hibbard of the Hibbard Basket Factory his father-in-law.
Before and after Wheeler was elected Sheriff, he worked at his father-in-law’s basket