There is a fabulous book in the DMPL collections called Behind the Badge: Stories and Pictures from the DMPD. It’s full of fantastic narratives and wonderful historic pictures of the Des Moines Police Department. Below is a list of Des Moines Police Chiefs/Marshalls and their Terms of Office beginning in 1852 and continuing to the present day. 1852-1899 is from the book. 1890-present is taken from the library’s Fun Facts. I haven’t been able to find information on J. Youngerman, but I’m still looking! If you have any, please post it in the comments section.
| J. Youngerman |
1852-1853 |
| P. Bowers |
1853-1854 |
| J. Youngerman |
1854-1855 |
| J. Harter |
1855-1856 |
| T. Hall |
1856-1857 |
| S. Noel |
1857-1858 |
| J.T. Moore |
1858-1859 |
| R. Hedge |
1859-1860 |
| L. Jones |
1860-1861 |
| Jester Hedge |
1861-1862 |
| A.N. Marsh |
1862-1863 |
| S. Noel |
1863-1865 |
| W. Lowry |
1865-1866 |
| S.H. Carson |
1866-1869 |
| F.M. Smith |
1869-1870 |
| S.H. Carson |
1870-1871 |
| M.T. Russell |
1871-1873 |
| W.M. Patchen |
1873-1874 |
| Adam Hafner |
1874-1876 |
| J.S. Davis |
1876-1877 |
| George Christ |
1877-1878 |
| J.H. Bryant |
1878-1880 |
| John Smith |
1880-1882 |
| A.H. Botkin |
1882-1883 |
| Adam Hafner |
1883-1886 |
| A.H. Botkin |
1886-1889 |
| Alfred Jarvis |
1889-1890 |
| Sol Stutsman |
1890-1892 |
| Fred Johnson |
1892-1900 |
| James W. Jones |
1900-1908 |
| William P. Hume |
1908-1908 |
| Ab Day |
1908-1909 |
| A. G. Miller |
1909-1910 |
| George Yeager |
1910-1916 |
| C. C. Jackson |
1916-1918 |
| M. J. Donoghue |
1918-1922 |
| Roscoe Daunders |
1922-1922 |
| John B. Hammond |
1922-1924 |
| James Cavender |
1924-1927 |
| Roy J. Chamberlain |
1927-1928 |
| Henry A. Alber |
1928-1939 |
| Floyd Hartzer |
1939-1940 |
| Tom R. Watson |
1940-1941 |
| Tom Pettit |
1941-1942 |
| Joe Loehr |
1942-1943 |
| Floyd Hartzer |
1943-1944 |
| Victor T. Smith |
1944-1946 |
| Floyd Hartzer (asst. chief) |
1946-1947 |
| Lorin Miller |
1947-1950 |
| F. E. Mabee |
1950-1952 |
| Howard R. Eide |
1952-1961 |
| Vear V. Douglas |
1961-1969 |
| Wendell E. Nichols |
1969-1979 |
| Billie B. Wallace |
1979-1984 |
| William H. Moulder |
1984-2003 |
| William M. McCarthy |
2003-2007 |
| Judy Bradshaw |
2007- |
|
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Filed under: Local History, Uncategorized | Tagged: Des Moines, des moines police, des moines public library, dmpl, iowa history, local history, police chiefs, polk county iowa |
There is a fabulous book in the DMPL collections called Behind the Badge: Stories and Pictures from the DMPD. It’s full of fantastic narratives and wonderful historic pictures of the Des Moines Police Department. Below is a list of Des Moines Police Chiefs/Marshalls and their Terms of Office beginning in 1852 and continuing to the present day. 1852-1899 is from the book. 1890-present is taken from the library’s Fun Facts. I haven’t been able to find information on J. Youngerman, but I’m still looking! If you have any, please post it in the comments section.
Des Moines Local History 
Chief in 1922 should be Saunders
I referenced several of those you’ve identified above, in my post ‘On Account of My Husband, Parents and Little Boy.’ Those who’ve not heard of 1916 ‘Basket Baby’ at Des Moines may appreciate the account.
https://rdhardesty.blogspot.com/2023/07/basketbaby.html
Looks like i had 2 relatives on the force, Roscoe Thomas “Ross Tony” Fredregill. Nov, 1917 Badge #s 26 and 27 and May 1936 Detective badge #5, Retired Nov 1939. His son Carl Jacob Fredregill, night shift patrolman badge # 311 died of pneumonia 1940. Any interesting things in their records?
[…] it was hard to convince many people in Iowa to obey something so obviously silly.” — via Behind the Badge: Stories and Pictures from the […]