From smalltown to boomtown: How Houston County transformed under America’s longest-serving sheriff
From smalltown to boomtown: How Houston County transformed under America’s longest-serving sheriff
Sheriff Cullen Talton led the department’s growth from 30 to 300+ employees during his nearly 52-year tenure
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — When Cullen Talton first pinned on his sheriff’s badge in 1973, Houston County looked vastly different than it does today.
“Well, I’ll tell you it was much less populated, it was much more agriculturally oriented economically,” said David Davidson, a longtime family friend. “As the base prospered, so did Houston County.”
The numbers paint a clear picture of that prosperity. When Talton took office, the county’s population barely reached 68,000. Today, more than 172,000 people call Houston County home.
His department grew alongside the community – from just 30 employees to more than 300. But perhaps one of Talton’s boldest moves came early in his tenure when he appointed Willie Talton as his chief deputy.
“He was bold enough, with all the mumbling and things going on with some of the constituents and even with some of his people that naturally voted for him,” said Willie Talton, who served as his chief deputy. “I couldn’t believe that he was putting his political career up to put a Black person in that position.”
The appointment made history at a time when few Black officers held leadership positions in Georgia.
As the county grew, Talton’s department adapted. They placed resource officers in schools and modernized their approach to law enforcement.
“We start putting our resource officers in the school to have close contact with the kids,” Willie Talton said. “Because he thought that was good for the fact is to have the kids to bond with law enforcement.”
Through all the changes – from new schools like Bonaire Primary and Matt Arthur Elementary to the rise of commercial districts where farmland once stood – those who knew him say Talton never lost sight of what mattered most.
“One thing I think remarkable is that he was not only liked but loved universally, almost without exception,” Davidson said. “That doesn’t happen by chance.”
Talton passed away last week at the age of 92. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving sheriff in the United States, having served the people of Houston County for nearly 52 years.