Decades of change

The Faulkner County Museum is on its way to having a law enforcement display, the basis of which will be Faulkner County Sheriff's deputy uniforms.

Lt. Jack Pike of the sheriff's department presented museum director Lynita Langley-Ware with six uniforms on Wednesday. Four are uniforms he has worn in the time he has been with the department, since 1978. Pike plans to add a seventh uniform to the collection soon.

ANTHONY REYES PHOTO  

Lt. Jack Pike, with the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office, recently donated several uniforms used by or once used by the department, including the first uniform Pike wore in the late 70's. Accepting the donation were, from right, Susan Thames, administrative assistant with the Faulkner County Museum, Kaye McMillian, museum board member, Beth Linn, board member, and Lynita Langley-Ware, museum director.

The uniforms represent several decades worth of style changes in the sheriff's office.

"(Langley-Ware) wanted to do a (law enforcement) display in the museum because it originally was a jail," Pike said. "What I'm getting I hope is just the beginning and that it will entice others from the past, deputies, employees, or families, to also give things to the museum so we can create a history as far back as we can go."

Langley-Ware said the museum also has the original jail records from 1873, the year Faulkner became a county, to 1935, the year before the jail was moved to the courthouse.

Pike said it has been a tradition for sheriffs to change the style of uniform when they come into office.

"It's not as easy as it used to be when we had just a few deputies. When I started we had five deputies. Now, with 25, it's not very practical."

He said some uniform changes have been for practical reasons. His first uniform was made of polyester, which would rip easily if deputies had to go into the woods. The ones the sheriff's office uses now are made of Ripstop fabric, which is what the military uses.

The current, dark blue sheriff's office uniform dates from 1996, Pike said. There is also a dress uniform that dates from 2000, Pike said. The dress shirt is the only piece that will be missing for a time, and Pike said he will donate it to the museum later.

A light blue uniform was the style from 1986 to 1996. Pike said he designed the patch on the sleeve. From 1978 to 1985 a dark brown uniform was the standard. Pike said prior to that, tan had been traditional across the state, and the change to "chocolate brown" was seen as a "pretty drastic change." The brown uniform also had brass plated buttons and a whistle.

From 1965 to 1977, deputies wore tan uniforms with brown trim, and the pre-1965 uniform was simply tan. While all the uniforms in the collection have patches on the sleeves, Pike said earlier uniforms probably did not have patches because the machines that make patches might not have been invented yet. He hopes to add a uniform from the previous era, which he believes will be a tan shirt with a badge, to the collection.

Pike said the badge he placed on the pre-1965 uniform may not be the right one. There are two types of badges in the collection, a five-pointed star badge and a seven-pointed star, which is the current badge. Pike said there was an earlier version of the five-pointed star that should go with the pre-1965 uniform. The badge he is looking for is all gold, whereas the ones in the collection all have some blue in them. He hopes someone will donate one to the museum.

Looking at the uniforms spread out on a table at the museum, Langley-Ware said, "I'm just a little overwhelmed at the wonderful gift we have received."

Board member Beth Linn of Conway said, "I think it's a really exciting addition to our museum. In the few short months I've been here, we seem to be growing, and it's exciting."

Linn and board member Kaye McMillian are both teachers at Carl Stuart Middle School. McMillian said, "This would be a nice addition for our kids to come and see the uniforms."

Pike said the sheriff's office has no record of the deputies who have worked there over the years. He would like to be able to find a former deputy who worked for the sheriff's office in the 1950s or 1940s to learn about what kind of equipment they worked with at that time. He also plans to restore an antique Faulkner County Sheriff's Office car and give it to the museum for display some day, when the museum has enough room.

Pike said the exhibit will be placed in the front room of the museum following a remodeling of the room.

(Staff writer Rachel Parker may be reached by e-mail at rachel.parker@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277.)