Sheriff Bill Brunt Murder Site
Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Bill brunt (1910-1939) was born near Alto on his family’s farm off Sand Flat Road in Cherokee County. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Upon honorable discharge, Brunt was hired by Southern Pacific as a railroad detective in Houston. Soon after, however, due to his reputation as an honest, hardworking, and trustworthy citizen, he accepted an offer by concerned townspeople in Alto to fill the post of City Marshal. The area had become host to illicit alcohol sales, gambling, and other vices. After successfully curbing many problems of the town, he ran for Sheriff in 1936 and won the election at the age of 26. One infamous local bootlegger, Isaiah “Red” Creel, had eluded Sheriff Brunt on multiple occasions. Although Creel had been arrested several times, no charges ever stuck. Brunt received a tip just after midnight on August 3, 1939, that Creel was headed from Kilgore with a load of alcohol. In the pursuit that followed, Creel’s car blew a tire, forcing him to abandon the chase near this site. As Brunt approached Creel’s Chevrolet Coupe, Creel fired a .45 caliber revolver, striking the Sheriff. Both men fired several times, mortally wounding each other and reportedly falling dead on either side of the road’s center line. An estimated 10,000 people attended Brunt’s funeral. His 26-year-old widow, Mary Dear Brunt, was appointed Sheriff in her late husband’s place and served until 1940. She chose not to run for election, but Bill’s brother, Frank Brunt, was elected and served as County Sheriff until 1954.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Sheriff Bill Brunt, a young Navy veteran elected at age 26, had built a reputation for cleaning up vice in Cherokee County when he pursued bootlegger Isaiah "Red" Creel near this spot in August 1939. A blown tire ended the chase, and in the gunfight that followed the two men mortally wounded each other, reportedly falling on opposite sides of the road's center line. Some 10,000 mourners attended Brunt's funeral, and his widow, Mary Dear Brunt, was appointed to finish his term as sheriff.
Why it matters
The shootout captures the lawlessness of Prohibition-era bootlegging in rural Texas—and a rare instance of a woman stepping into the sheriff's office in 1939.
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Related people
- · Bill Brunt
- · Mary Dear Brunt
- · Isaiah "Red" Creel
- · Frank Brunt
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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