Thomas Jefferson Carr was elected as Laramie County Sheriff in November 1870. It was a rough and rowdy time in Cheyenne, with murder common and hardened criminals mingling with everyday townsfolk.
Carr served three terms and was responsible for overseeing the first legal execution by hanging in Laramie County. One of his responsibilities was escorting convicts to the prison in Detroit, Michigan, where through a negotiated deal, Wyoming lawbreakers were held. Capturing horse thieves, breaking up gun fights, and foiling attempted jail breaks were all part of Carr’s repertoire.
Locals described him as a “terror to evil-doers of all classes”. His reputation for having caught and handled more murderers than any other man in Wyoming preceded him. Encounters with criminals were risky. Carr was fired upon more often than not but only struck by a bullet once.
See the Lawrence A. Cardoso papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more about the life and times of frontier sheriff Thomas Jefferson Carr.