Sheriff Eliezer “Eli” Rivera is Cheshire County’s 13th elected Sheriff since 1879

New Hampshire was divided in 5 counties in 1771, Cheshire County being one. In 1827 Cheshire County was divided into two Cheshire and Sullivan Counties. Prior to 1878 High Sheriff’s were appointed.

During 1771 – 1877 the High Sheriff was appointive

1771-1776	Josiah Willard
1776-1782	Enoch Hale
1783-1789	Samuel Hunt
1799-1832	Thomas Bellows
1832-1842	Elijah Carpenter
1843-1847	George Huntington
1847-1852	John Foster
1853-1855	Wareham R. Platts
1856-1865	Bolivar Lovell
1866-1971	George W. Holbrook
1872-1874	Elisha F. Lane
1875-1876	Edward P. Kimball
1877-1879	Ralph Holt

 

CHAPTER 23 AN ACT TO REGULATE THE CHOICE OF STATE AND COUNTY OFFICERS UNDER THE AMENDED CONSTITUTION

Section 2 – … sheriff … shall be elected in November 1878 for each county in the state who upon being duly qualified shall assume the duties of their respective offices on the first Wednesday of June 1879 …

1st 1879-1880 Ralph Holt
Holt was the first elected Sheriff in Cheshire County. He was elected to Office Nov 1878, took office in June 1879 until January 1880, when he had to had to step down due to his age (70), but remain with the Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff for many years after.

2nd 1880-1894 Horace A. Perry (R)
3rd 1895-1910 William S. Tuttle (R)
4th 1911-1930 Edward H. Lord (R)
5th 1930-1943 Frank Bennett (R)
6th 1943-1954 Arthur N. Jennison (R)
7th 1954-1970 Frank Walker (R)
8th 1970-1977 George Schnyer (R)
9th 1977-1988 Kenneth Lysitt (R)
10th 1988-1994 William Moffitt (R)
11th 1994-1998 Douglas K. Fish (R)
12th 1999-2012 Richard A. Foote (R)
13th 2013-current Eliezer “Eli” Rivera (D)
Rivera is the first elected democratic Sheriff in Cheshire County since 1879, and the first personal of color elected in the State of New Hampshire.

Sheriff Eli Rivera has been researching the history of the Sheriff’s Office with the help of the Historical Society of Cheshire County. If you have any information about the Sheriff’s Office please feel free to reach out to Sheriff Eli Rivera at erivera@co.cheshire.nh.us.