List of Old West lawmen

This is a list of Old West lawmen: notable people who served in various law enforcement positions during the Old West period.

Name Portrait Life Years active Comments Ref.
John Hicks Adams No image
available
1830–1878 1864–1878 Sheriff, Santa Clara County, California, Deputy U.S. Marshal, Arizona Territory
Alfred Shea Addis 1832–1886 1883–1886 Territorial Marshal, Tucson, Arizona 1883–1886 Deputy US Marshal, Grant County

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William "Red" Angus No image
available
1849–1922 1888–1893 Sheriff, Johnson County, Wyoming
Elfego Baca 1865–1945 1884–1890 New Mexico
Phillip Cuney "P.C." Baird No image
available
1862–1928 1882–1884
1888–1898
Sheriff and Texas Ranger, Mason County, Texas
Mariano Barela No image
available
1837–1892 Sheriff and U.S. Marshal, Mesilla, New Mexico
Joel Almon Bascom No image
available
1832–1912 Chief of Police, Provo, Utah and constable of Mona, Utah
John Watson Bell Bascom No image
available
1869–1948 Deputy Sheriff, Uintah County, Utah and constable of Naples, Utah
Charlie Bassett 1847–1896 1873–1879 Sheriff of Ford County, Kansas, Marshal of Dodge City [In Dodge Peace Commission Photograph Bassett is seated in the front row at far left]
Johnny Behan 1845–1912 1871–1882 Sheriff, Cochise County, Arizona Territory
Horace Bell 1830–1918 Los Angeles Ranger
James W. Bell No image
available
1853–1881 Deputy Sheriff, Lincoln County, New Mexico
Sam Bernard No image
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1880–1964 Deputy Lincoln County, New Mexico, Hillsboro, New Mexico
Carl P.F. "Charles" Birkenfeld No image
available
1852–1923 1904–1917 Constable, Pima County, Arizona
N. K. Boswell 1841–1904 Sheriff, Laramie, Wyoming
William J. Brady 1829–1878 1869–1878 Sheriff, Lincoln County, New Mexico
Billy Breakenridge 1846–1931 Deputy Sheriff and U.S. Marshal, Cochise County, Arizona Territory
William L. Brooks 1832–1874 Marshal, Newton, Kansas and Dodge City, Kansas
Charles "Charley" J. Brown No image
available
1845–1884 1875–1884 Sheriff, Pembina County, Dakota Territory; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Dakota Territory
Henry Newton Brown 1857–1884 Marshal, Tascosa, Texas (ghost town) and Caldwell, Kansas
Neal "Skinny" Brown No image
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1844–1926 1879–1895 Assistant Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas; U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory
Seth Bullock 1849–1919 Sheriff, Lewis and Clark County, Montana; Sheriff, Lawrence County, South Dakota; U. S. Marshal Dakota Territorych
Mathew Caldwell No image
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1798–1842 Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers 1836, Sheriff of Gonzales (Guadalupe, Dewitt, Caldwell, Lavaca) Counties 1837, Gonzales & Seguin Texas Rangers 1839
Frank M. Canton 1849–1927 Sheriff, Johnson County, Wyoming; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory; Under Sheriff, Q County, Oklahoma
James W. Carr No image
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1845–1926 Marshal Silverton, Colorado; Marshal Rico, Colorado; Deputy Sheriff Ouray County, Colorado; Deputy Sheriff Dolores County, Colorado
Charles Francis Colcord 1859–1934 Deputy U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory; Chief of Police, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Territory
David J. Cook 1842–1907 Marshal, Denver, Colorado
"Longhair" Jim Courtright 1848–1887 Omaha, Nebraska Marshal, Marshal, Lake Valley, New Mexico; Sheriff, Fort Worth, Texas; Detective, Fort Worth, Texas
Frank Dalton 1859–1887 Deputy U.S. Marshal, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Oklahoma Territory
Ben Daniels 1852–1923 US Marshal, Pima County, Arizona sheriff, superintendent of Yuma Territorial Prison
James "Jim" M. Dodson No image
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1876–1890 Prescott, Arizona City Marshal; Arizona State Penitentiary Wall Guard (post retirement)
Ed Drew 1865–1911 Pinal County, Arizona deputy sheriff
Morgan Earp 1851–1882 Deputy Sheriff, Ford County, Kansas; Marshal, Butte, Montana; U.S. Deputy Marshal, Arizona Territory; Deputy Policeman/Marshal, Arizona Territory
Virgil Earp 1843–1906 Deputy Policeman and Assistant Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Prescott, Arizona; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Tombstone, Arizona; Marshal/Chief of Police, Tombstone, Arizona; Sheriff, Colton, California; Deputy Sheriff Esmeralda County, Nevada
Warren Earp 1855–1900 U.S. Deputy Marshal, Cochise County, Arizona Territory; Special Ranger (Arizona Cattleman's Association)
Wyatt Earp 1848–1929 Constable, Lamar, Missouri; Marshal (for 1 hour), Ellsworth, Kansas; Deputy Policeman, Wichita, Kansas; Assistant Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas; Deputy Sheriff, Pima County, Arizona, Arizona Territory); Deputy Policeman and Assistant Marshal, Tombstone, Arizona, Arizona Territory; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Arizona Territory
Stringer W. Fenton No image
available
1865–1936 Marshal, Indian Territory, Oklahoma, Osage County
John King Fisher 1854–1884 acting sheriff of Uvalde County, Texas
Camillus Sidney Fly No image
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1849–1901 Sheriff, Cochise County, Arizona Territory
Pat Garrett 1850–1908 Sheriff, Lincoln County, New Mexico; Sheriff, Doña Ana County, New Mexico; Customs Collector, El Paso, Texas; Texas Ranger Captain, Texas
Lee Hall 1849–1911 Texas Ranger
Wiley G. Haines No image
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1860–1928 Undersheriff, County P, Oklahoma Territory; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory; Chief, Osage Indian Police
John Coffee "Captain Jack" Hays 1817–1883 Captain in the Texas Rangers; first sheriff of San Francisco (1850)
Jack Helm No image
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1838–1873 Sheriff, DeWitt County, Texas
James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok 1837–1876 Marshal, Abilene, Kansas and Hays City, Kansas
John Henry "Doc" Holliday 1851–1887 Special Police Officer, Tombstone, Arizona Territory; Deputy U.S. Marshal Arizona Territory
John R. Hughes 1855–1947 Texas Ranger
James B. Hume 1827–1904 Marshal, Placerville, California; Undersheriff, El Dorado County, California; Sheriff, El Dorado County, California; Chief Detective, Wells, Fargo & Co.
Grant Johnson No image
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1858–1929 Deputy U.S. Marshal, Indian Territory
John "Liver-Eating" Johnson No image
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1824–1900 Deputy Sheriff/Town Marshal
John B. Jones 1834–1891 Texas Ranger
Jeff Kidder No image
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1875–1908 Arizona Ranger
John M. Larn No image
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1849–1877 outlaw and Sheriff, Shackelford County, Texas
James Franklin "Bud" Ledbetter No image
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1852–1937 Deputy Sheriff, Johnson County, Arkansas; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory; Sheriff, Muskogee County, Oklahoma
Isaiah W. Lees No image
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1830–1902 Detective, San Francisco, California
William Sidney "Cap" Light No image
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1864–1893 Deputy Sheriff, Belton, Texas, Temple, Texas and Creede, Colorado
Steve "Big Steve" Long No image
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d. 1868 outlaw and Deputy Marshal, Laramie, Wyoming Territory
Harry Love 1809–1868 Captain, California State Rangers (1853–1855)
Chris Madsen No image
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1851–1944 U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory
Bat Masterson 1853–1921 Deputy Sheriff/Sheriff Ford County, Kansas; Marshal, Trinidad, Colorado; U. S. Deputy Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas; Peace Commissioner/Deputy U.S. Marshal, Southern District of New York
Ed Masterson 1852–1878 Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas
James Masterson 1855–1895 Dodge City, Kansas, Ford County, Kansas, Ingalls, Kansas, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Andrew "Andy" Mather No image
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1851–1929 Texas Ranger, Williamson County, Texas, Co. E, Frontier Battalion, under Captain Maltby
Mysterious Dave Mather 1851–? 1880–1885 Assistant Marshal Dodge City Kansas; Town Marshal New Kiowa Kansas
Joseph McNulty 1841–1909 Sheriff, Rooks County, Kansas
Tolbert "Tol" Fannin McKinney No image
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1857–1938 Lt. Texas Ranger, Co. D & E.; Frontier Battalion under Captains John R. Hughes & John H Rogers; Deputy Sheriff in Uvalde, Zavala, Bandera, Brewster, and El Paso Counties, Texas
Leander H. McNelly 1844–1877 Texas Ranger
William H. "High Water Bill" Moorhead No image
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1867–1870 First sheriff of Pembina County, Dakota Territory which also made him the first sheriff in what is now the State of North Dakota; also served as Pembina town marshal, and Pembina County deputy sheriff. Nicknamed "High Water Bill" for his predictions on how high the flooding Red River of the North would get each spring, predictions that usually included the exchange of money and property.
David Neagle No image
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1847–1926 Deputy Sheriff, Cochise County, Arizona Territory; Marshal, Tombstone, Arizona Territory; Detective, US Marshal, San Francisco, California
Evett Dumas Nix 1861–1946 US Marshal, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Nasty Nate, Kansas
Robert Bob Olinger 1841–1881 1878–1881 Deputy Sheriff, Lincoln County, New Mexico
William Owen "Buckey" O'Neill 1860–1898 Sheriff, Yavapai County, Arizona
Commodore Perry Owens 1852–1919 Sheriff, Apache County, Arizona
Allan Pinkerton 1819–1884 Pinkerton Detective Agency Founder
Robert Pinkerton No image
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1848–1907 Pinkerton Detective
William A. Pinkerton No image
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1846–1923 Pinkerton Detective
Henry Plummer 1837–1864 Marshal, Nevada City, California; Sheriff Bannack, Montana
Robert Jack Price No image
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1848–1930 Constable
Alexander Ramsey No image
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1847–1875 Marshall, Hays City, Kansas, later, sheriff, Ellis County, Kansas, shot and captured Henry Born "Dutch Henry", shot and killed nine other outlaws in discharge of his duties
Bass Reeves 1832–1910 Deputy U.S. Marshal, Indian Territory
Porter Rockwell 1813–1878 Utah Territory
George Scarborough No image
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1859–1903 El Paso, Texas Sheriff, killed John Selman
John Selman 1839–1896 El Paso, Texas Constable, killed John Wesley Hardin
Charles A. Shibell 1841–1908 1875–1880; 1888 Sheriff Pima County Arizona
Charles Sims No image
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1879–1945 Town Marshal Rosedale, Oklahoma
Charlie Siringo 1855–1928 Pinkerton detective
Sam Sixkiller No image
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1842–1886 Captain, U.S. Indian Police, Indian Territory; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Indian Territory
John Slaughter 1841–1922 Sheriff and Texas Ranger, Cochise County, Arizona, Arizona Territory
Lot Smith 1830–1892 Sheriff Davis County, Utah; in March 1853, Farmington, then known as Little Cottonwood, was approved by Utah Territorial Legislature as the County seat of Davis County; a year later, Lot Smith, who also served in Mormon Battalion at age 16, was appointed county's first sheriff
Thomas Smith 1830–1870 Marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal, Kit Carson, Colorado and Abilene, Kansas
Con Stapleton No image
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1848–1879 Marshal, Deadwood, South Dakota
Dallas Stoudenmire 1845–1882 El Paso, Texas Marshal and Texas Ranger; Deputy U.S. Marshal
Michael Sughrue No image
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1844–1901 Sheriff, Clark County, Kansas; Marshal Ashland, Kansas; Deputy Sheriff, Ford County, Kansas; Deputy Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas
Henry Andrew "Heck" Thomas 1850–1912 Deputy U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory
Ben Thompson 1842–1884 Marshal, Austin, Texas
Bill Tilghman 1854–1924 Deputy Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas; Deputy U.S. Marshal, Oklahoma Territory; Sheriff, Lincoln County, Oklahoma; Chief of Police, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
James Timberlake 1846–1891 Deputy Marshal, Liberty, Missouri; County Sheriff, Clay County, Missouri; Constable, Liberty, Missouri
Paden Tolbert 1863–1904 Deputy U.S. Marshal, Indian Territory
Max Ventura No image
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1866– U.S. Marshal, Indian Affairs Delegate, North Dakota Territory
John Joshua Webb No image
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1847–1882 Deputy Marshal, Dodge City, Kansas; Marshal, Las Vegas, New Mexico
Franklin Pierce West No image
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1852–1886 Indian Territory Deputy Marshal
William Fletcher Wheeler No image
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1824–1894 Montana Territory U.S. Marshal 1869–1878, Lt Col, 1st MN Vol Inf, 1858–61, Capt, Co F, 4th MN Inf, 1861–64 (WIA at Vicksburg, Mississippi), 3rd U.S. Marshal in the Montana Territory, 1869–78; founder of Montana Historical Society
Fred White 1849–1880 Marshal Tombstone, Arizona Territory; died in the line of duty
Robert Widdowfield 1846–1878 Wyoming Deputy sheriff, first Wyoming officer to be killed in the line of duty
Robert Widenmann No image
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1852–1930 Deputy U.S. Marshal New Mexico Territory
Charlie Wilson No image
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1860–1889 City Marshal, Oceanside, California 1888–1889
Jefferson "Keno" Wilson No image
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1862–1934

See also

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References

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  1. ^ August 12, 1882, reported in The New Southwest and Grant County Herald
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