SPRINGERVILLE, ARIZONA
128 YEARS OF COUNTY SHERIFFS
BY JACK A. BECKER
TOWN WAS KNOWN AS
SHERIFF
COUNTY SEAT
Colorado Chiquito
John L. Taylor
April 2, 1869-Jan. 1, 1871
Prescott; Arizona Territory
Colorado Chiquito
John H. Behan
1871 - 1872
Prescott; Arizona Territory
Milligan Settlement
James S. Thomas
1872 - Jan. 17, 1874
Prescott; Arizona Territory
Round Valley
Henry M. Herbert
Jan. 17, 1874 - Jan. 1, 1875
Prescott; Arizona Territory
Round Valley
Edward F. Bowers
1875 - 1878
Prescott; Arizona Territory
Springerville*
Joseph R. Walker 
Jan. 1, 1879 - Feb. 24, 1979
Prescott; Arizona Territory
*Apache County was created by the Tenth Territorial Legislature on Feburary 24, 1879.  The legislators initially placed the couny seat at Snowflake, but provided for an election to be held on June 2, 1879, to decide the issue.  After that election the county seat was moved to St. Johns, however, in 1880 it was moved to Springerville.  The hotly debated issue was finally resolved in court in Prescott and the county offices were permanently located in St. Johns.

Territorial Governor, John C. Fremont, (nationally known as "The Pathfinder") appointed Alejandro Peralta as the first Sheriff of Apache County.
Springerville
Alejandro Peralta
Feb. 24, 1879-June 2, 1879
Snowflake; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Luther Martin
June 2, 1979-Dec. 31, 1880
Springerville; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Ephraim S. Stover
Jan. 1, 1881-Dec. 31 1882
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Thomas Perez
1883-1884
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
J. Lorenzo Hubbell
1885-1886
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Commodore P. Owens
1887-1888
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
St. George Creaghe
1889-1890
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
O.B. Little
1891-1892
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Wm. R. Campbell
1893-1894
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
James Scott
1895-1896
W.W. Berry
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
St. George  Creaghe
1897-1898
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Edward Beeler
1899-1900
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Leandro Ortega
1901-1902
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Sylvester Peralta
1903-1904
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Dionicio Duran
1905-1906
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Sylvester Peralta
1907-1914
St. Johns; Arizona Territory
Springerville
Jacob Hamblin Jr.
1915-1916
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
E. W. Grimes
1917-1918
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Jacob Hamblin Jr.
1919
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
J. A. Mineer
1920
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
John E. Eagar
1921-1922
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Marion Haws
1923-1924
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
H. L. Butler
1925-1926
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Andrew Maxwell
1927-1928
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
M. L. Hall
1929-1930
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Marion O. Haws
1931-1934
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
A. Hartley Greenwood
1935-1936
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
John Nunn
1937-1941
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Alma C. Naegle
1941-1948
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Harris Miller
1949-1950
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
John T. Crosby
1951-1954
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Grant Hamblin
1955
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Emilio Garcia
1956-1960
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
Edgar B. Merrill
1961-1972
St. Johns, Arizona
Springerville
C. Arthur Lee
1973-
St. Johns, Arizona
Click here to see pictures of some of the Sheriffs

Researched and complied by by Jane Eppinga for the "Arizona Sheriff," magazine,Volume 11, #1, Spring 1992, Apache County.
Excerpt from the research collection of Jack A. Becker, local historian.
All rights reserved ©2005