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The Department of Public Safety
In Shelby County
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The first Texas State traffic law was enacted in 1907. It
consisted of six sections: requiring registration of motor vehicles, regulating
speed, racing, hand signals for granting right-of-way to animals and requiring a
suitable bell and lights on motor vehicles.
The beginning of rural traffic law enforcement in the State
of Texas was with legislation passed in 1919 expanding the rules and regulations
for the movement of vehicular traffic. A provision was also included authorizing
the Commissioner’s Courts of each county to permit each sheriff to hire two
deputy sheriffs for the purpose of enforcing rural traffic regulations.
During the early 1920’s the citizens and officials of Texas
saw the need for some method of statewide enforcement of traffic regulations of
motor truck traffic. The increasing truck traffic and the condition of the roads
of Texas presented a real problem, so the Texas Legislature found it necessary
to create an organization to enforce existing regulations in 1927. The Texas
Highway Department was authorized to employ 18 License and Weight Inspectors and
one Chief inspector. After only two years, the License and Weight Section was
increased to 50 men and named the State Highway Patrol. In 1931, the enforcing
agency was authorized 120 men. These officers had limited police powers with
authority only to deal with misdemeanor traffic violations.
By 1935 the State’s part in crime prevention and traffic
control was inadequate and improperly organized. On August 10, 1935, the
Legislature created the Texas Department of Public Safety and assigned this new
agency the powers of "enforcement of the laws protecting the public safety and
providing for the prevention and detection of crime." The act provided for
transfer of the Texas Rangers from the Adjutant General’s Department and the
State Highway Department to the Department of Public Safety. The State Highway
Patrol was renamed the Texas Highway Patrol and its officers given full
enforcement powers.
On November 15, 1935, the Texas Legislature passed the
State’s first driver licensing law. The act contained two provisions of major
importance – one requiring the licensing of Texas drivers by the Department and
the other calling for the Department to begin keeping a system of traffic
records. The law made it the responsibility of county tax collectors throughout
Texas to collect fees and issue licenses, without a requirement for driver
examinations. In 1937, the Legislature amended the 1935 Act and gave the
Department full responsibility for all drivers licensing in the State, requiring
written tests and demonstration of driving skill.
In September 1941, 32 experienced patrolmen were transferred
to the Drivers License Division and relinquished their enforcement duties in
November 1941. O’Brien Ross went to work for the Department of Public Safety of
Texas in the License Division in 1941 in Shelby County. He served in this
capacity until he was inducted in the service in 1945 during World War II. After
his discharge in 1946, he resumed his position until his death in 1961. Charles
Crawford worked in the License Division beginning in 1961. These officers worked
alone in this office until 1967, when Elizabeth Harris Pate was employed as a
clerk. As far as we know, Jerry Teer was the last officer to work in the License
Division in Shelby County.
According to our records in Shelby County, Russell (Rusty)
Vinyard was the first DPS Trooper to serve Shelby County. Rusty was born in
Staples, Texas. He was stationed in Tyler, Texas and worked Shelby County on a
motorcycle in the old days – mid thirties and forties. He was stationed in
Shelby County permanently in 1943. He retired in 1970 and moved back to Staples.
Rusty died in 1993.
The following is a list of the other DPS Troopers who served
Shelby County in the past:
* Cloyd Black served Shelby County from 1943 until 1951.
*N. W. (Dub) Clark entered the 16th Texas Highway
Patrol class at Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas, on January 9, 1950. Following his
graduation, he was assigned to Crockett, Houston County, Texas in March of 1950.
In March of 1951, Dub was assigned to his hometown, Center, Texas, to work with
long time Highway Patrolman R. L. (Rusty) Vinyard. Their territory was Shelby,
San Augustine and Sabine Counties. (See related article in family section.)
*Maxie Eaves was born December 4, 1934 in the Choice
Community in Shelby County to Orby Ervin Eaves and Ary Margaret Colvin. He
attended school at Clever Creek and then Center ISD. He was employed at Shelby
Co-op Feed, Corbitt Morris and L. C. Smith. He graduated in 1957 from the 28th
DPS graduating class in Austin, Texas. After graduating, his first assignment
was in Tyler, Texas. Maxie worked for DPS for about six months before he went
into the Army. He did his time, came home and went back to work for DPS,
stationed in Trinity, Texas. He was not there long before he went back into the
Army. In 1962, when he came back to the DPS, he was stationed in Shelby County
where he worked from 1962 to 1965. In 1965, he went into the poultry business.
In 1968, he was elected Sheriff of Shelby County and began serving in June 1969.
He served in this position until 1976. Maxie still lives in Shelby County.
* W. H. (Hal) Wyatt was born in Center, Texas to W. R. Wyatt
and Blanche Cooper. He grew up in the Pleasant Grove Community in Shelby County.
He attended school in Center for eight years, graduated from Aldine in Houston,
Texas. He attended SFA College in Nacogdoches. In March 1964, he graduated from
the DPS Academy in Austin, Texas. His first assignment was in Brenham, Texas. In
1969, he was assigned to come back to Shelby County where he worked until 1993,
at which time he retired. Hal still lives in Center, Texas.
Here are some more Troopers who served Shelby County: Howard
Alfred, Terry Lynch, Mack Dillard, Glen Wood, Joe Wilkerson, Paul Hopson, Jessie
Wilburn, John Boone, Mike Pitcock, David Outon, James Carroll, Roger Scott, John
McDaniel, Ralph Norsworthy, James Moore, Travis Brazil, David Yarberry, Greg
Evans, Terry Truett, Randy Minshew, Bob Reeves and Greg Schroeder.
During the research for this article, we were told an
interesting fact. Maxie Eaves said, "In the 1960’s there were more recruits for
the Department of Public Safety from Shelby County than any other county in
Texas."
Some of the Sergeants who covered the Shelby County area over
the years are: Dale Nicholson, D. K. Johnson, Ben Urbanzyk, Warren Kirkland and
Paul Hopson.
The following are Shelby County natives who have or are
serving DPS in some capacity: Don Bailey – License and weight, Ricky Allen –
Sgt. Inv. Narcotics, David Amos – Sgt. Inv. Narcotics, Johnny Hooper – Senior
Trooper/License and Weight, Ronnie Porter – Highway Patrol and Ben Neel
–Narcotics Division.
At the time of this writing (2002), the DPS Troopers serving
in the Sergeant Area are: Shelby County - Gerald Corbell, David Martin, Jimmy
Faulkner, Matt Wheeler, Michael Neal and Gary Rudisill; San Augustine County -
Cody Muse and Larry Linder; Sabine County – Tommy Scales and Tim Saltzman.
Many Troopers are involved in Department Special Operations
Teams - such as, Swat Team, State Accident Reconstruction Team, Expert Witnesses
and Dive-Recovery Team.
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