Memories of Service: Roy Clark's Journey as a Nolan County Jailer in the 1970's and the first uniform patch issued by Nolan County.

The Nolan County Sheriff's Office has been in existence since 1881, and as Sheriff, I understand it has a rich history and that is something that I often think about. Over the past couple of months, I have been in communication with Mr. Roy Clark, a former jailer who served under Sheriff Joe Slater in the 1970s. Our correspondence began when I received an email from him in March. In that email, Mr. Clark greeted me with a simple, “Howdy Sheriff!” Then he shared his experiences of running the Nolan County Jail and living in the old Courthouse on the third floor, next to the jail.

Mr. Clark recounted that during his time there, Sheriff Slater provided them with uniforms. He described these uniforms as khaki-colored, western-style suits, which included white shirts and black ties. He mentioned that Sheriff Slater had patches made for the right shoulders of the suits. The ensemble was completed with polished black boots and the required silver-belly cowboy hats, which were a hallmark of authority and style. Mr. Clark emphasized how sharp and impressive they looked.

Fast forward to today, Mr. Clark told me that while he was going through some of his belongings, he discovered the old shoulder patch. He thought I might be interested in seeing the over 50-year-old NCSO patch. Although he mentioned it shows some signs of age and wear, he still considers it pretty cool. From what he could remember, it was the very first uniform and patch ever issued by Nolan County.

Mr. Clark shared that after leaving Nolan County, he became a Border Patrol Agent in Van Horn for about a year, then worked with the El Paso Police Department for 13 years, and finally to the Harris County Sheriff Office where he retired in 2021 as a Lieutenant after 30 years of service. He noted that it was quite a change going from one of the smallest jails in Texas to the third largest one in the whole country.

Mr. Clark ended with, “Thanks for your time and I wish you well as the newest Sheriff of Nolan County. If you have a use for the patch, I can send it to you.”

I replied to Mr. Clark’s email and told him that it was an amazing story, and that I really appreciated him sharing it with me. In regard to the patch, I told him that I would love to have it added to our collection. I asked him if he had any images of himself in uniform and told him that if he did, I’d love for him to share it with us, too. In closing, I told Mr. Clark, that if he was ever in the area to please stop by and visit us.

In a follow-up email, Mr. Clark wrote, “I'll be mailing the patch to you on Monday.”

Mr. Clark shared that working in Sweetwater, Nolan County, was quite an experience. He mentioned that he worked with some fantastic colleagues who took him under their wings and ensured his safety. Reflecting on his time here, he recalled two deputies, Jim Watson and Glen Willeford. Although he couldn't remember the name of the Chief Deputy, he described him as a great guy. Mr. Clark noted that the Chief Deputy had lost part of his arm in an accident.

He told me about a man named “Shorty,” a Probation Officer, who had loaned Mr. Clark a Smith & Wesson Model 37 Airweight revolver. Mr. Clark carried it for a couple of months until he could afford to buy a Chief's Special from a sergeant with the Sweetwater Police Department. Mr. Clark mentioned that he had the opportunity to ride along with almost everyone working in the county at one time or another, including Herman Seale and Donnie Rannefeld, his partner in the Department of Public Safety, Chuck Renfro who was the Chief of Police in Roscoe, and John Richey, the Game Warden.

Mr. Clark said they always managed to get into something entertaining. Friday and Saturday nights often involved long pursuits, usually with high school kids driving their hot rod cars, attempting to outrun the police. Mr. Clark noted that law enforcement were using high-performance police cars, including Fords with 429 cubic inch engines, Pontiacs with 455 cubic inch engines, and Plymouths with 440 cubic inch engines, which could really move. He mentioned that they had to refuel twice every shift. While the gas mileage wasn’t great, there was a gas war at the time, and they were only paying between 19.9 and 21.9 cents per gallon for premium gas.

Mr. Clark said that if they received a hot call to Blackwell down south, they would have to stop and fill up with gas before leaving the Sweetwater area, otherwise they would run out on the way back. He said, luckily there weren't many calls for service way out in the county back then (Maryneal, Nolan, or Blackwell). Mr. Clark said that they patrolled around Lake Sweetwater looking for drunks, parking, and of course looking for "reefer addicts."

Mr. Clark recalled an incident where one of the deputies made a marijuana bust. The deputy had suspected that the two young men were selling to kids who drove up and down the main drag at night. After the arrest, the two young men stayed in Mr. Clark's jail for a couple of months due to high bail. Eventually, they pleaded guilty and received ten years of probation for possession. Mr. Clark remarked, “How things have changed in 50 years!”

Mr. Clark said that Nolan County was dry back then and told me that they had quite a few bootleggers. They weren't hard to spot because most had old Coke vending coolers on the porch full of beer and kept the bottles of hard liquor hidden in the bushes around the house. It was hard to catch them because anytime they got a search warrant, the booze would somehow disappear before they got there. He said the ones they did manage to catch always got probation, and their fees and fines helped pay the Sheriff's budget. There was a large room in the basement of the old courthouse filled with beer, wine, and liquor that the TABC would send trucks to pick up a couple of times a year, which they then resold to suppliers.

“I was just 19 years old,” Mr. Clark said as he reminisced about his time in Nolan County. He expressed that he loved every minute of it. He mentioned that there were very few inmates in the jail, but it became overcrowded when the population reached 25, especially if there were any women or juveniles. Mr. Clark explained that juveniles were held in a six-bunk steel cell they constructed in a storage room above the District Courtroom on the third floor. This way, they were technically not in the “big boy” jail, since a steel door separated them from the adult inmates.

To get the inmates to the jail, Mr. Clark explained that you needed to go to the basement of the courthouse and enter a small closet space containing a small antique elevator. He said that the elevator was electric and operated by moving a crank type lever: moving it to the right would take you up, while moving it to the left would take you down. He emphasized that you had to be careful to stop the elevator level with the floor, otherwise you would be stuck in the elevator until someone noticed, or they heard you yelling for help. He also mentioned that the floors of the elevator were very spongy and soft, and the doors consisted of metal grates that you slid to the side to enter or exit. Mr. Clark exclaimed “Scary stuff!”

Mr. Clark mentioned that the jail itself was built around 1895. He said that it consisted of two main cells and approximately six very small two-person cells that could be closed. There was also a day-room with a shower piped through the roof (no shower head and mostly cold water). He noted that there was no radio or television, and the lighting was poor, with bulbs hanging above the ceiling bars. All the locking mechanisms were manually controlled from a locked control panel located in the hallway, however, the individual cells were never closed as they often would not reopen.

Mr. Clark told me that there were no medical or mental health services available. There were no recreational activities, and while there was no commissary, inmates were permitted to receive cigarettes, candy, and toiletries from their families. Mr. Clark said that most of the windows were broken, so it was very cold during the winter months. He said that this was before the Texas Jail Commission was even formed. Mr. Clark told me that he was the one and only jailer, 24/7, without any time off or overtime, salaried, $350.00 a month, paid on a monthly basis. He said that he did all the cooking and served the inmates three meals a day.

Mr. Clark stated that when he left the building, no one else was monitoring the jail. After about six months, he felt compelled to leave, as there seemed to be no possibility of a life outside the jail, and he began to feel like an inmate himself.

Mr. Clark closed with, “Anyway, I'll stop rambling for now. Sorry for the long boring history, just getting old and very few want to hear about the "old days". I retired after nearly 45 years in law enforcement and jails and don't regret a minute of it. We make a huge impact on our communities every day even if no one wants to acknowledge it. Tell your jailers what a great job they are doing dealing with today's correctional challenges and dangers. They are appreciated!!”

In my reply email to Mr. Clark, I told him that I had received the patches, expressed my gratitude for them and thanked him for sharing his experiences while working at the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office. I mentioned to him that I enjoy learning about the history of this office and asked him for his permission to use the story he provided on our website's newsroom, because I believe there are others just as intrigued by the office’s history as I am.

I hope you found joy in reading a little about the rich history of your Sheriff's Office and the those who paved the way for the services we provide today. I am proud to serve as Sheriff in these modern times, equipped with the latest technology. However, I believe it is important to remember our roots, reflect on how things used to be, and acknowledge where we came from.