Victoria Police Department Historical Information

The city of Victoria was founded in 1824 by Don Martin de Leon who, brought 41 families to the area to establish the town. The town consisted of 4 square leagues (with 4,428 acres per league). In 1992, the City consisted of 30.1 square miles and a population of over 56,000.

In 1839, the City was recognized under the Texas Charter and local government began with a group similar to our current City Council. It was in this year that Thomas Barry was named as the first City Marshal. His job was to enforce the laws and collect taxes. It was also in this year that the Council acknowledged the need to have a jail. John J. Linn, the City's first mayor, in his "Reminiscences of 50 years in Texas" wrote about the first jail constructed in 1843 or 1844, it was concluded that Victoria had attained to that degree of enlightenment that demanded a jail in which evil doers could be confined. It was constructed of hewn logs, about a foot square, and pinned together by wooden pins." Linn recalled how the first two persons placed in the jail quickly learned to remove the wooden pins, which allowed them to make their escape.

One of the first City Ordinances passed was in 1839, mandating that bars close at 10 P.M. The first traffic ordinance was passed in 1858. This ordinance allowed the mayor to construct earthen sidewalks and assessed a fine of $5 to $10 for ".riding a horse or any vehicle upon said sidewalks."

Department Leadership
The position of City Marshal was held by many through the years and the names of all Marshals are sketchy. The Marshal, which became an elected official, was sometimes paid a salary and other times depended on being paid a percentage of fees and fines he collected. Because of the unreliable pay, many Marshals did not remain in their position.

By 1897, there were two Deputy Marshals appointed to assist the Marshal. The Deputies each received a monthly salary of $60. The Marshal also received a like salary along with 5% of the fines collected. In 1900 George H. Heck served as City Marshal.

During the early 1900s D.C. Holzhauser took over and served as City Marshal for many years. John G. Vogt served as City Marshal during the 1940s and into the early 1950s. During the 1950s, Council created the office of Chief of Police and appointed J.R. Cowing. For several years the City had both a Chief of Police and a Marshal; then, in 1957, the office of City Marshal was abolished.

Police Chiefs

Trivia from the Past