I.H. Peebels was elected by the Council as succeeding Ambrose Robinson and the Council appointed five men to serve as policemen who were Jeremiah Peek, Erastus LeSuer [LeSeur]1, Joseph C. Preston, Edwin B. Gidley and Warren Hamilton. Hamilton did not serve in this capacity and James Clark was appointed in his place. The date of this action by the Council was November 6, 1871. They also set the salary for policemen at two dollars per day and the salary for marshal at $2.25 a day.

The following year on April 4 [1872] Erastus LeSuer [LeSeur] was appointed marshal. F. W. Loveland [J. W. Loveland]2 and Newton Felch replaced Edwin Gidley and Jeremiah Peek. James Clark also resigned in April, as did Joseph Preston in August 1872.

James J. Parshall was voted as the new Marshal by the Council on May 5, 1873 replacing LeSuer [LeSeur] and Jacob Seabold [Seabolt]3 and William Porter were appointed patrolmen on October 1st. John W. Loveland was elected by the Council to replace James J. Parshall as chief on April 20, 1874. Jacob Seabold [Seabolt] left the force in March and returned two months later. George W. Brown was appointed patrolman on October 19, 1874, filling the vacancy caused by Loveland’s advancement.

On April 14, 1875 the entire force was dismissed and E. Stiling received the majority of votes of the Council and was appointed marshal and J.G. Johnson was named patrolman. They constituted the force until October 4, 1875 when John W. Maroney was appointed patrolman. Marshal Stiling died while in office in October 1875 and A. H. Herron was named to fill the unexpired term.

Herron was re-elected in 1876 but the Council apparently pressed charges against him in July and in September he resigned. A special meeting was called by the Council for the purpose of accepting Herron’s resignation and naming his successor. George W. Cook received the appointment.

John G. Johnson, a patrolman for the past two years was elected marshal replacing Cook on April 5, 1877 and was again re-elected the following year. Daniel W. Amsden replaced John Maroney in April 1878 as patrolman. Salaries were set at $600.00 annually for the marshal and $500.00 annually for patrolmen.

A.W. Porter, a former policeman, returned to the force in October 1878. Johnson was again re-elected by the Council to serve as Marshal in 1879 and Chris. Mellman replaced D. W. Amsden in September of that year as patrolman. Again in 1880, Johnson received the approval of the Council for the office, but on April 20, 1881 he was defeated by Thomas Clarken. John S. Nowland was voted as Clarken’s successor on April 12, 1882. Nowland was re-elected by the Council on April 9, 1883 to serve as marshal and Thomas Clarken replaced William A. Porter as patrolman. William left the force November 1, 1883. Chas. L. Fall replaced Nowland as chief on April 12, 1884, and named Fred Sipley, Homer Henderson and William Campion as patrolmen releasing Clarken from the department. Salaries were raised to $780.00 a year for the marshal and $720.00 a year for patrolmen by the Council. The Council also ordered a telephone placed in the police office and at the home of the marshal. Salaries were reduced the following year to $600.00 for patrolmen but the chief’s salary remained unchanged. Fall was re-elected by the Council the following year and retained the same three patrolmen.

Fred Sipley, a patrolman, was elected Marshal by the Council on April 12, 1886 and Michael Clark and Daniel W. Amsden were appointed patrolmen replacing Henderson and filling the vacancy caused by Sipley’s promotion. William Campion left in March 1887, Sipley was again elected chief on April 15, 1887. Michael Clark was retained as patrolman and William Campion returned, replacing Amsden. The Council resolved that the department would consist of the marshal and two patrolmen for the ensuing year. When William Campion again left in August 1887, the Council decided not to replace him but to erect more streetlights with the salary intended for another patrolman. However, E. B. Gidley had started to work but his services were dispensed with after the Council’s action. Sipley was again re-elected by the Council on April 9, 1888 and James Murray joined the force on August 1, 1888 when Michael Clark resigned.

Sipley was again named chief in May 1889 but this time not by a vote of the Council. The rules of the Council were changed whereby the mayor presented the names of persons he appointed for various positions to the Council for their approval. He remained in the office for one week, however, as he resigned and was appointed chief of the Fire Department, a position he held for many years. Along with his transfer also went the position of poor master.

The vacancy was filled by William Walsh, appointed to fill the unexpired term. David Collins and Clarence Tice were appointed patrolmen on September 29, 1890. William Walsh, the chief, resigned in November and James Murray, a patrolman, succeeded him. He was appointed by Mayor Charles Manley.

James R. Murray was marshal again in 1891, serving under Mayor William G. Doty during his two terms in that office. The police station was located in the city offices, which occupied the second floor of a building in the 200 block of N. Fourth Avenue. David Collins, more commonly known as “Doc” Collins, and Noble C. Tice were retained as patrolmen. The services of some of the citizens were occasionally solicited as extra patrolmen or special police, this averaging a cost to the city of approximately $20.00 a month. Mayor Bradley Thompson removed Murray from the office of chief of police on October 24, 1893, and Charles Wheeler was appointed and both patrolmen were retained.