History

Past Sheriffs of Cass County, North Dakota

 

J.H. Pashley (1874-1875)


J.H. Pashley was the appointed sheriff of Cass County at its start as a county. He was appointed as sheriff until the first official election, in which John Haggart became the first elected sheriff of Cass County.

John Haggart

John E. Haggart (1875-1887)

John Haggart was the first elected sheriff of Cass County. He came to Fargo in 1867 and settled upon one of the first claims entered in the Red River Valley. He was also the first city marshal of Fargo before becoming sheriff, of which he held the office of sheriff for twelve years. After his term as sheriff John Haggart was elected to the first state senate. The first bill introduced into the North Dakota State Legislature and the first to become law, was Senator Haggart’s senate bill #1, making an appropriation for the Agricultural College at Fargo.
   
John Benton

John D. Benton (1887-1889)

John D. Benton came to Fargo in 1878 where he opened a law office, with A.D. Thomas who later became a United States District Court Judge. He stayed with this firm until 1886, at that time he was elected Sheriff of Cass County. In 1887 North Dakota Governor Church appointed Benton as state treasurer, but Benton declined in order to complete his term as sheriff. After the expiration of his term as sheriff John Benton became the president of the Merchants State Bank and a senior member of the Benton & Amidon Law Firm.

 
Charles W. Smith (1889-1890)

Information is not available.

Daniel McLaren

Daniel A McLaren (1891-1893)

Daniel A McLaren came to Cass County in 1883 and was a prominent farmer until he was elected sheriff of Cass County in 1890. McLaren served one term as sheriff and went on to become a county commissioner for six years. Daniel McLaren also swerved other various positions within the community such as, township treasurer, member of the township board of supervisors, and justice of the peace.
   
 Oscar Barnes

Oscar G. Barnes (1893-1897)

Oscar Barnes came to Fargo in 1882 and entered employment with the J.B. Weaver company. Later in 1886 he was appointed deputy sheriff under J.D. Benton, which served for six years. In 1892 he was elected to the position of sheriff, and remained there for two terms. After his service as sheriff Oscar Barnes went on to the county board of commissioners and eventually became the chairman
   


Charles E. Wilson (1897-1901)


Charles Wilson served three consecutive terms as a city councilman for Fargo, and in 18j90 he was elected to the board of county commissioners and later became chairman. In 1896 he was elected sheriff of Cass County and served one term. Before and after his term as Sheriff Charles Wilson was very active in the furniture business.
   


Treadwell Twitchell (1901-1905)


Treadwell Twitchell’s prior occupation before being elected to the position as sheriff of Cass County, was as a prominent farmer in the Mapleton, ND area. He swerved as sheriff of Cass County from 1901=1905. Treadwell Twitchell also served as chairman of the Cass County committee and legislative committee chairman for the Republican Party. He served as a Lower House Representative in the North Dakota State Assembly for five terms, and one term as a senator in the same State Assembly.
   


William E. Hunt (1905-1909)


William "Billy" Hunt came to Fargo in 1881 as a sales representative of the St. Paul Harness Company. From 1905-1909 he served as sheriff of Cass County. William Hunt was the first Elk initiated in North Dakota, and the second ND exalted ruler of the Elk Lodge. William Hunt died on November 24, 1936.
   


Henry T. Boyle (1909-1913)


Henry Boyle spent four years as sheriff, to then lose to John Ross in the 1912 election. In a comeback attempt he lost the primary election for sheriff in 1924. Henry Boyle was also a well respected farmer in Cass County for many years.
   


John C. Ross (1913-1917)


John Ross was originally from the Leonard, ND area where he was a farmer and a well known auctioneer. He was elected sheriff in 1912 and served until 1917, which, at that time, his brother, Andrew Ross, was elected as the sheriff. John Ross retired to Magnolia Beach, Washington where he died.
   
 Andrew Ross

Andrew M. Ross (1917-1921)

Andrew Ross, the younger brother of John Ross, also served as sheriff of Cass County. His term in office amazingly happened right after John Ross served four years as sheriff. Like his brother, Andrew Ross was also a farmer and an auctioneer. He retired to Arizona where he died in 1948.


Fred A. Kraemer (1921-1925)


Information is not available.


John C. Ross (1925-1929)


John Ross’s second term as sheriff began in 1925. He followed his brother and Fred Kraemer in the office of sheriff. Upon his completion of his second four years in the sheriff’s office, John Ross retired to Magnolia Beach, Washington where he passed away.
   


Mark Andrews (1929-1933)


Mark Andrews was called the "singing sheriff", because while on the campaign for office he would often end each speech with a singing performance. Before coming back to his native area of Cass County, he studied voice in New York and sang for the Metropolitan Opera. His son, Mark Andrews, Jr., became a representative and then senator for North Dakota. Mark Andrews, Sr. continued the farm started by his father. That same farm was operated by Mark Andrews, Jr. and now is being operated by Mark Andrews III.
   


Peter MacArthur (1933-1937)


Peter MacArthur served as sheriff for four years after serving as a deputy for eight years. He was shot and wounded by a fugitive that he chased into Moorhead, MN. A Moorhead policeman was killed by the same fugitive. Pete MacArthur was the manager of Fargo Eagles for 35 years before retiring. He was also the president of the Eagles for two terms.
   


Arnim E. Roethke (1937-1941)


Arnim Roethke was originally from Tower City, ND where he was a butcher, grocer, cattle buyer, and town marshal. In 1937 he came to Fargo after being elected to the office of Cass County Sheriff. Arnim Roethke passed away in 1958.
   
Frank McKenzie

Frank A McKenzie (1941-1945)

Frank McKenzie, Jr. was Cass County Sheriff from 1941-1945, and a deputy for four years. He worked with the grain elevator and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, prior to this service with the sheriff’s department.


Roy T. Landbloom (1945-1949)


Roy Landbloom was a well-known farmer and businessman in Reed Township and Fargo. He was a Cass County Commissioner for six years, and in 1945 was elected sheriff of Cass County. He served as sheriff for four years. In 1949 he went into the insurance business with Western States Life Insurance Co. in Fargo and was with them until he died on April 13, 1963.
   


Arthur J. Narum (1949-1953)
Art Narum was born and raised in Cass County. He spent five years with the U.S. Army during World War II. He was known for his stand on honest and efficient law enforcement. His campaign slogan was "Give A Veteran A Chance".


Walter T. Quam (1953-1957)
Walt Quam served over 40 years with the Cass County Sheriff’s Department; ten years as sheriff and the remainder as deputy sheriff. He was elected to the office of sheriff two different times. The first term was in 1953-1957. The second term was 1961-1967.

 Charles Punton

Charles Y. Punton (1957-1960)

Chas. Punton was a highway patrolman prior to being elected sheriff in 1956. He won re-election in 1958 and was a candidate for a third term before his untimely death on May 25, 1961. He farmed for a short time and served in the motor transport corps in World War I. Chas. Punton was originally from Ayr, ND.
   


Walter Gullickson (1960-1961)


Walter Gullickson was appointed by the Cass County Commission to serve the unexpired term of Charles Punton. He did not run in the following election when Walter Quam was elected. He was first appointed deputy under Walter Quam, but then resigned to seek the office of sheriff. in the 1956 election, in which he did not receive the nomination in the primary election. Charles Punton re-appointed him in 1957 as a deputy.


Walter T. Quam (1961-1967)


This is the second period of time that Walt Quam served as Sheriff of Cass County. Walter and his wife were members of the Elks and the Eagles clubs and they were members of the First Lutheran Church of Fargo for over fifty years.


Lloyd S. Stensrud (1967-1970)


Lloyd Stensrud died on March 23, 1970 while in office. He had worked in law enforcement for 25 years, he became sheriff in 1966 after serving as Chief of Police in West Fargo for 10 years. He had been a Cass County deputy sheriff for 7 years prior to taking the West Fargo post. He began his career in 1945 as a part-time deputy in the Cass County Sheriff’s Department.

Jack Dailey
Jack H. Dailey 11 (1970-1979)
Jack Dailey was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Lloyd Stensrud on March 24, 1970. He served as sheriff until 1979. Jack Dailey served with the sheriff’s department since June 1962. Before that he was Parts Manager for Russ Buick for 15 years. He did not seek re-election in the 1978 election.
   

Donald J. Rudnick (1979-2007)

Don Rudnick started his law enforcement career as a policeman in Jamestown, ND from 1966-1969. In 1969 he moved to Cass County as one of the first district patrol deputies which were assigned to live in the smaller communities and patrol the area where they lived. After moving up through the ranks to detective and then to chief deputy, Don Rudnick ran for and won the office of sheriff. The longest serving Sheriff to date at 28 years.

 Paul Laney

 Paul D. Laney (2007-2018)

Paul D. Laney was born and raised in West Fargo, ND. He served in the US Marine Corps from 1984-1988 at which time he was honorably discharged. He began his law enforcement career with the Fargo Police Department in 1989 where he climbed the ranks to Lieutenant. He was elected and sworn in as Sheriff of Cass County on January 2, 2007. After almost 30 years in law enforcement Paul Laney did not seek re-election in the 2018 election.