Jailers of Bullitt County

Some years are approximate due to inconclusive records and changing election dates. In the early years of the county, Fiscal Court (then called the County Court) appointed the Jailer, generally for one-year at a time or until otherwise decided. With a change in the new 1850 State Constitution, Jailers began being elected to four-year terms rather than being appointed. Kentucky is the only state in the nation with elected county jailers.

Jailer	When Served	Notes
James Chappell	1802	first Bullitt County jailer; other than him, none yet found from 1797-1807
Wyatt P. Tuley	1808-1813
John Graham	1814 (October)
Robert Luckey	1814 (November	upon resignation of John Graham
Seth B. Thornberry	1816
William Jones	1817 (July) – 1821 (January)
William Graham	1821 (January)	upon resignation of William Jones
James W. John	1822 (November)
John Morrow	1823 (September)
Thomas Shanklin	1824 (November)-1832
Joseph R. Murray	1827-1839
William B. Holsclaw	1839 (July)-1840 (January)
Fredric Travis	1840 (January)-1848 (April)
George W. Orme	1848(May)-1849	Moved to Jefferson County.
Francis Maraman	17 Jun 1850	Appointed to replace Orme.
Frederic Travis	2 June 1851-24 Jun 1854	First elected jailer under new Constitution; died in office.
John Chaddic Jr.	21 Aug 1854
William K. Thomas	1855-1858
Simpson R. Hoagland (Hoglan)	9 Aug 1858-1860 (September)	Resigned; said to have moved to Missouri.
John Chaddic Jr.	17 Sep 1860-11 Aug 1861	Appointed to replace Hoagland.
John Stringer	12 Aug 1861-11 Aug 1862
Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Troutman	11 Aug 1862-1870	Buried in Shepherdsville Pioneer Graveyard
John R. Thompson	1871-(between 10 May 1874 - 18 Jan 1875)	See explanation below.
Benjamin Franklin Troutman	(between 10 May 1874 - 18 Jan 1875)-May 1875	See explanation below.
Henry Clay Bowman	August 1875-1894	b. June 3, 1844; d. May 14, 1915. He served 19 years as County jailer.
Charles R. "Bob" Smith	1895-1901	served seven years?
Earnest Demoville Jones	1902-1905	Moved to Indiana after his term ended.
James W. Croan	1906-1909	b. July 26, 1863; d. Dec. 23, 1944
Robinson "Robert E." Lee	1910-1917
W. F. "Frank" Monroe	1918-1921	later became County Sheriff
E. G. "Eph" Quick	1922-1929	There were several jail escapes during the tenure of Eph Quick. b. Dec. 11, 1860; d. Sept. 15, 1945.
W. F. "Frank" Monroe	1930-1933
Embra Deacon	1934-1936	Museum has photo of Embra Deacon. b. Oct. 1884; d. May 25,1936.
Millard Deacon	1936 (June)-1937	Filled in for a time after the death of Embra Deacon.
J. Vernon Jones	1937 (July)	finished out the term of Embra Deacon
J. Vernon Jones	1938-1945	Father of Adrian Jones, who later became Mayor of Shepherdsville.
Tom Hibbs	1946-1957	Museum has photo and obit of Tom Hibbs. He had filled in as Jailer for the last 1 ½ years of Vernon Jones's term during Jone's illness. He was also County Sheriff 1958-62. Died 1967.
Everett Heffley	1958-1967	Museum has photo of Everett Heffley. Died 1967, while in office.
Lula Heffley	1967-1969	Wife of Everett; appointed to finish his term when he died)
Billy Roy Shepherd	1970-1985
Ralph Bleemel	1986-1997
Tim Seng	1998	Appointed to fill out the term of Ralph Bleemel.
Danny Fackler	1999-2010
Martha Weaver Knox	2011-2018
Paul Watkins	2019-2022 (Died November 7)
Bryan Whittaker	2022 (November 7)-present	Appointed to fill out the term of Paul Watkins; elected 2022.

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From Bullitt County Order Book K, on page 102, entered January 18, 1875, we find this: "John R. Thompson, late jailer of Bullitt County, account for W. W. Zazio & Company, $126.40."

On the same date and page, we find, "B. F. Troutman, jail account allowed to November court of claims, $52.20."

We do not find a resignation of John R. Thompson nor the appointment of B. F. Troutman in the order book. However, J. R. Thompson was still jailer on January 14, 1874 when he presented an account to the court as jailer [Book K, page 24]; and again in November 1874 when he produced an account as jailer, shown here:

"This day John R. Thompson produced to court the following account, to wit. The Commonwealth of Kentucky to John R. Thompson, Jailer of Bullitt County: to dieting, clothing and supporting Lucy Markwell, a pauper colored lunatic from October 15th 1873, date of last payment, to May 10, 1874 at the rate of $200 per year; $114.99, which was sworn to by said jailer and allowed and ordered to be certified." [Book K, page 84]

Then on August 13, 1875, [Book K, page 144] we find this: "H. C. Bowman being duly elected at the August election 1875 to fill the vacancy in the office of Jailer of Bullitt County, occasion by the death of B. F. Troutman, this day produced to court his certificate of election and took the several oaths required by the Constitution and Statutes of Kentucky, and executed bond to the Commonwealth of Kentucky with J. F. Smith, W. W. Zazio, W. N. Simmons and R. J. Meyler security conditioned according to law, which bond is approved by the court; and said Bowman is permitted to enter on the duties of said office."

Benjamin Franklin Troutman died on 12 May 1875.

Thus it appears that John R. Thompson stopped being jailer sometime between 10 May 1874 when he was supporting the pauper and 18 Jan 1875 when he is called "late jailer" and B. F. Troutman enters a jail account claim to the court of claims.

It also appears that B. F. Troutman, former jailer, assumed the role at some point in that time frame, and served as jailer until his death in May 1875, at which point Henry Clay Bowman was elected to the post.

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