The History of
Wayne County Sheriff's Department
| FORMER SHERIFF'S OF WAYNE COUNTY | Henry "Harry" Gray | 1842 - 1848 |
| Q. J. Martin | 1888 - 1892 |
| James C. Green | 1900 - 1904 |
| Francis Marion Gray | 1904 - 1908 |
| E. L. Martin | 1912 - 1916 |
| R. S. (Tabe) Burke) | 1916 - 1920 |
| Ulmer L. Busby | 1924 - 1928 |
| Thomas Spain Busby | 1932 - 1936 |
| Harry G. Norsworthy | 1936 - 1940 |
| C. L. "Dob" Westover, Sr. | 1940 - 1944 & 1952 - 1956 |
| W. M. "Bill" Bankston | 1944 - 1948 |
| James R. Cochran | 1948 - 1952 & 1956 - 1960 |
| Hardy Lee Leggett | 1960 - 1964 |
| Buford W. Gandy | 1964-1968 |
| Marvin M. Farrior | 1968 - 2000 |
| John Stein Farrior | 2000 - 2012 |
| Darryl Woodson | 2012 - 2016 |
| Joseph "Jody" Ashley | 2016 - |
Previous patches used by the Wayne County Sheriff's Department
Deputy Curtis Chapman, or Chet, as he was known to many, was the first black man to ever serve as a Deputy in Wayne County. Sheriff Marvin M. Farrior hired Curtis Chapman on the recommendation of the Voter’s League during Sheriff Farrior’s first term in 1968. Curtis Chapman served the department until he died after fighting a four year battle with prostate cancer.
Sheriff Marvin M. Farrior’s words about Deputy Chapman were featured in a Wayne County News article as “One of the most dedicated men I’ve ever known. Chapman was better at serving processes than anyone else in the department because he knew and got along well with the people of the community. It’s very hard to replace a man of that caliber.”
Photograph reprinted by permission from the The Wayne County News.
Former Sheriff Marvin M. Farrior and Sheriff John Stein Farrior pose together after Sheriff John Stein Farrior accepts oath of office in January 2000.
Sheriff Marvin M. Farrior with his staff in 1999
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