Blaine County Sheriffs 1895 - Present

In 1895 the County of Blaine was established from Alturas. Hailey being the County Seat. Blaine County is part back country and part desert. These Sheriffs have a large job keeping peace and also search and rescue.

Past & Present Sheriffs

Information from Sheriffs office and Wood River Newspaper's dating back to 1895.

History of Blaine County Sheriffs

Sheriffs in the untamed 1800s had a big job - literally - keeping the peace in a sprawling territory that includes modern day Blaine County. Those self-reliant lawmen kept a vigilant eye on a vast jurisdiction boasting a boom-era population that exceeded our current numbers. And they did it all without radios, motor vehicles, paved roads or computers.

It's particularly hard to imagine how they were able to carry out the duties of the office (in the early years) when you look at the spirited populace that the mining boom brought to our area. The history of law enforcement in the Wood River Valley began when Idaho was still a territory and a part of Alturas County. John G. Howell was our first Sheriff who was appointed in 1864 by William Daniels, the acting Governor of the Territory of Idaho.

- Read much more facinating history on the Blaine County Sherrif's site... HERE.)

Submitted by Sheriff J. Walt Femling
Sources: Geo. A. Mcleod, History of Alturas and Blaine Counties, Idaho 3rd ed., Hailey: Hailey Times, 1938.

Page updated December 2023