HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

Roscoe D. Holliday

Goodrich, Polk County, Texas

Marker Inscription

(July 24, 1887 - Nov. 14, 1950) Born in Mississippi. Came to Polk County prior to 1910. Served as county's constable and deputy sheriff for 10 years before his election as sheriff in 1920. After 17 years in this office, he was appointed to the Texas Rangers, where he served for 13 years. During long career, he became a shrewd investigator, solving numerous cases of murder. Also he was instrumental in the capture of many bootleggers.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Mississippi-born Roscoe D. Holliday came to Polk County before 1910 and spent a decade as constable and deputy before winning election as sheriff in 1920. After seventeen years in that office he joined the Texas Rangers, serving thirteen more years and earning a reputation as a shrewd investigator who solved numerous murders and rounded up bootleggers during the Prohibition years.

Why it matters

Holliday's career embodies the enduring Texas lawman tradition, from county constable to the storied Texas Rangers, that policed a still-frontier state well into the twentieth century.

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Related people

  • ¡ Roscoe D. Holliday

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Westward ExpansionFrontier HistoryMemorial

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