The following list is from Victor Silvestri’s excellent publication, Encyclopedia of Florida Sheriffs, which is available from the Walton County Heritage Museum Gift Shop. The two-volume set has biographies of every sheriff who served in Florida from 1821 until 2008.
Four Walton County Sheriffs died while in office: J. Murdock Bell (1909-1916), Daniel “Dorie” Clayton Adkison (1937-1938), Robert E. Gatlin (1941-1942), and Thomas Howard “Andy” Anderson (1961-1970). Names in parentheses in the table below are possible alternative names. Names in blue are linked to their biographies or obituaries.
1827-1830 | Michael Vaughan, Sr. |
1830-1832 | Alexander McKenzie |
1832-1834 | Daniel Campbell McLeod |
1834-1836 | Abraham (Abram) Bellamy |
1836-1840 | Daniel Campbell McLeod |
1840-1842 | Alexander Campbell |
1842-1844 | Giles Bowers |
1844-1846 | William W. McCallum |
1846-1847 | Enos Evans |
1847-1849 | Anthony Hartley Brownell |
1849-1853 | William W. McCollum (McCallum) |
1853-1855 | Alexander (Neil) C. Monroe |
1855-1857 | Alexander C. Monroe |
1858-1860 | John Lauchlin Campbell |
1861-1865 | William W. McCollum |
1865-1867 | John Lauchlin Campbell |
1868-1872 | Samuel Rutan |
1872 | Lafayette Calvin McDonald |
1872 | John Alexander McLeod |
1873-1877 | Neil McPherson Campbell |
1877-1878 | James H. Rice |
1878-1881 | William Bethune McLeod |
1881 | Joseph Malary |
1881 | John William Campbell |
1882 | Malcolm D. McLean |
1883-1889 | John C. McSween |
1889-1894 | John Alexander McLeod |
1894-1898 | Marvel Manning |
1898-1909 | John William Campbell |
1909-1916 | J. Murdock Bell |
1916-1917 | Jefferson Ballow (Ballou) Cawthon |
1917-1933 | Thaddeus “Thad” Bell, Sr. |
1933-1937 | Monroe H. Prescott |
1937-1938 | Daniel “Dorie” Clayton Adkison |
1938 | Celia Jernigan Adkinson (Mrs. D. C. Adkison) |
1939-1941 | Monroe H. Prescott |
1941-1942 | Robert E. Gatlin |
1942-1945 | Theron Aubrey McDonald |
1945-1953 | Curtis Ralph Miller |
1953-1957 | Theron Aubrey McDonald |
1957-1961 | Curtis Ralph Miller |
1961-1970 | Thomas Howard “Andy” Anderson |
1970 | Ethlyn McDuffie Anderson (Mrs. T. H. Anderson) |
1970-1977 | Lehman Shelby “Sam” Campbell |
1977-1980 | Jessie Aubrey Carter, Sr. |
1981-2000 | Quinn Arlen McMillan |
2001-2008 | Ralph L. Johnson |
2009-present | Michael A. Adkinson, Jr. |