1957 - 1965

Democrat

Travis Parnell, Sheriff Fred Quednau's Chief Deputy and former jailer, ran against Quednau's other deputy, Ira Atkinson in 1957 when Sheriff Quednau decided not to seek re-election. Parnell won by 304 votes, a near landslide in a race in which 2,390 people voted.

Parnell was a butcher before he and his wife became the county jailers. The couple lived in an apartment in the courthouse. He locked up the prisoners, and his wife cooked the meals.

One of the biggest crimes to occur during Parnell's termt as sheriff happened on July 18, 1963 -- an attempted jail break.

By 1965, the county's population had grown to 12,000. The Sheriff's budget had grown to $146,200, including a salary of $9,000 for the sheriff. However, after serving two terms in office, Sheriff Parnell was defeated in the 1964 election.