SHERIFF HENRY GORDON

In the election of 1904 four men qualified for the race. Allan Rodgers, Henry Gordon, J. L. Smoak, and former Lake County Sheriff John P. Galloway. Gordon and Galloway made it to a runoff with Henry Gordon winning by 53 votes.

Henry Gordon was sworn in as Sheriff in 1905.  A 1910 newspaper article described him as a “man who knows no fear”. He is the first Sheriff of whom we have been able to obtain a picture.  Sheriff Gordon served until 1908.  He later became Chief of Police of Ocala and would be injured in a shootout in 1910.  While serving as Chief, Gordon was killed in an auto accident on September 29th, 1924 while transporting a prisoner.