NEVADA CITY, CA – On May 18*, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO)—and the county as a whole—celebrate 175 years, marking a legacy of community service and dedication.
Nevada County was originally part of Yuba County, which was incorporated in 1850. At that time, R.B. Buchanan was the first Yuba County sheriff. After the land was divided to create the newly formed Nevada County, an election for county officials took place eight days later on May 26, 1851*, according to “100 Years of Nevada County,” published by The Nevada City Nugget in 1961. John Gallagher was elected the first Sheriff of Nevada County proper; however, Buchanan is still recognized as the first sheriff to serve Nevada County territory.
“Back in 1851, when we were first incorporated, our Sheriff’s Office consisted of just two people—a sheriff and a jail matron,” said Sheriff Shannan Moon, who is the 34th sheriff of Nevada County. “From just two people to nearly 200 today, it is humbling to reflect back on our early beginnings to see how far we have come in serving our community.”
By 1951, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office had grown to just eight people total after 100 years, according to The Nevada City Nugget: the sheriff, undersheriff, five deputies, and one jail matron. The small team operated two jails in Nevada County, just as NCSO does today: the main county jail in Nevada City (capacity in 1951: 24; capacity today: 284) and the Truckee Jail holding facility, which operates in the same fashion today with a capacity of 12.
Through the last 175 years, NCSO has lost three sheriffs in the line of duty: Sheriff W.W. Wright on Nov. 3, 1856 (along with City Marshal David Johnson, who died of his injuries Nov. 4); Sheriff William H. Pascoe on June 30, 1893; and Sheriff David Fulton Douglas on July 26, 1896.
In the case of Sheriff Wright, he and Marshal Johnson went out looking for jail escapees, but unbeknownst to them, a second, unauthorized group went out with the same intent. The two groups mistook each other for the escapees and exchanged gunfire, resulting in the deaths.
An article appearing in The Nevada Journal on Nov. 14, 1856, provided a detailed account of the tragic incident, including recorded testimony of those involved, the coroner’s findings, and the jurors’ verdict.
“I heard a general cry that we were killing our own men—that we were shooting the Sheriff’s party,” recalled T.L. Baldwin, one of three men to open fire on Sheriff Wright. “We went there on our own accord, without any authority, and on our own responsibility. I had heard in town that these fellows had broken jail.”
Today, NCSO has 68 peace officers who patrol, protect and serve Nevada County residents. Services provided by NCSO’s entire team have grown considerably these last 175 years. In addition to patrol, top services include investigations, dispatch, animal control, search and rescue, coroner, civil, public administration, corrections, court security, and evidence retention, along with a variety of specialty teams, such as the Sheriff’s Mobile Crisis Team, Sheriff’s HEART, Sheriff’s volunteers, Special Enforcement Detail (aka SWAT team), Crisis Negotiations Team, Dive Team, and more.
NCSO and county departments will continue celebrating the 175th birthday throughout the year, including a proclamation recognizing the anniversary that will come before the Board of Supervisors at its May 19 meeting. All residents are encouraged to celebrate Nevada County’s rich and extensive history and to learn more about its origins through the Nevada County Historical Archive, a community repository of thousands of original records, documents, photographs and more, dating back to the County’s inception.
*Members of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office researched extensive records and publications through the Nevada County Historical Archive to share historic information with residents. Through the years, some articles and records have varied on the official date Nevada County was incorporated, with April 25 and May 18 most cited. It is believed May 18 represents the date Nevada County was officially signed into law by Governor John McDougal.